Blood Heir
by kuro-yumi
Summary: SEQUEL TO CURSED HEIR. Celeste's clan was gone, nobody important knows Aleister's alive, and Accelerator was her boyfriend. Life couldn't be better. Until, of course, trouble hits. With the lives Celeste and Accelerator lead? They should be used to it by now. Part 2/3
1. Chapter 1

"Accelerator, about the girl yesterday, jan... The one who was sleeping with you."

"Tch. What about her?"

Damn. They knew…

And when the hell did those damned nosy women even see them?!

"…Did you use protection?" Yoshikawa asked, the researcher cocking an eyebrow.

Accelerator's eyes shot wide open. He coughed violently. He had choked on his spit.

"What protection, Misaka Misaka asks curiously as she tugs on Yoshikawa's sleeve."

"You see, protection is needed when a male and a female love each other very much, and they—"

"SHUT IT!" Accelerator snarled, still trying to recover from the image of him and Celeste doing… that. "The brat doesn't need to know that stuff!"

Last Order blinked, then pouted. "Misaka Misaka wants to know, Misaka Misaka says as she crosses her arms angrily."

"No you don't," Accelerator huffed, and turned to his guardians. "And in case you haven't noticed, we're _underage_."

Yomikawa and Yoshikawa exchanged glances, then shrugged. "Never stopped anyone."

An inarticulate sound of frustration left Accelerator's throat as he threw up his arms in frustration. They were _underage_. That explained everything. Sure, Accelerator had flipped through a porn book or two before in a convenient store. But none of it ever appealed to him. He really didn't see the appeal.

 _Of course, none of the women were Celeste… If it was her, he probably wouldn't mind…_

Wait… What?

Accelerator shook his head violently to clear out the thoughts, earning amused looks from the three females standing before him as if they were interrogating him.

Which they probably were.

"Hey, you weren't forcing her to do anything, right?" Yoshikawa asked, brows furrowing.

"Hah?!" Accelerator growled, glaring at the woman. What was she implying?

"Actually never mind. You wouldn't be interested in that kind of thing. Like romance and dating and women…" Yoshikawa mumbled.

"Then what was that scene, jan?" Yomikawa demanded, then in a softer voice that Accelerator was sure he wasn't supposed to hear, said, "I can't believe there's actually a girl who would go out with _him_ , jan…"

"What the hell's that supposed to mean, kusotare," Accelerator snapped.

"It means Accelerator is hopeless with females and not appealing, Misaka Misaka translates cheerfully!"

"I _know_ what she's trying to say! _You_ shut up!"

He wasn't that bad! He enjoyed going on the killing rampage once in a while—translated into at least twice a week—and looked and acted like a murderous psychopath… And he didn't really have any delicacy, as Last Order had told him time and time again… And he just did whatever he wanted without caring about others… And he insulted everyone and pushed them away, and was probably as warm and sweet as a glacier…

What the hell, did he have any good points?! Accelerator scowled.

Why the hell did Celeste like _him_?

Yomikawa sighed. "Before you went off on a tangent, I _was_ going to ask who she was…"

Last Order grinned, bouncing up and down with her hand raised. "Ah! Misaka Misaka knows! Accelerator's girlfriend is Cici, a wish granter, Misaka Misaka informs Yomikawa and Yoshikawa!"

"Who and what?" Yomikawa deadpanned.

Accelerator smirked. "You're Anti-Skill. Why don't you go look her up?"

The woman rolled her eyes. "It's easier to ask you, jan. And why would I go look someone up for no reason? So are you going to tell me or not?"

"No."

Yomikawa fought the urge to sigh again. She seemed to do that a lot around Accelerator. What was that she had thought a long time ago, about him and Last Order not being trouble? Yeah. She would take that back. And if she ever found a time travelling esper, she would get them to take her back so she could hit her past self with a baguette until she agreed not to take in the brats.

They were more trouble than they looked.

Then again, why was she ever _stupid_ enough to think a mass murdering psychopathic boy with social issues and a clone would be _easy_ to take care of?

Last Order blinked up at the woman. Her information network never said anything about people looking like they wanted to bash their heads against the wall. Well, except to stay away from such people, but Yomikawa was nice.

"Misaka Misaka suggests asking Cici," Last Order commented.

" _Brat_ ," Accelerator growled, turning his attention to the tiny version of Misaka Mikoto. "If you _dare_ say another word…"

"Cici lives next door, Misaka Misaka says quickly!" And she ducked behind Yomikawa's legs.

Accelerator groaned. If he slammed his head against the wall hard enough, would he forget that Last Order ever existed? He didn't dare look up…

But he did, and saw the slow grins grow on the two adults' faces.

…Maybe he should just grab Celeste and move somewhere far, far away from clones and meddlesome women and over-powerful big brothers and buildings without windows.

Like the North Pole. He heard the penguins were friendly over there. If not, he could always wipe out the species and eat them.

He was seriously considering the thought when Yomikawa, Yoshikawa, and Last Order all turned on their heels and marched out the door. Accelerator groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Why him?

"Yes?" A familiar voice asked, barely muffled by his closed apartment door.

He would never admit his heart skipped a beat.

"Hello, I'm Yomikawa Aiho, an Anti-Skill, jan. This is Yoshikawa Kikyou, a researcher, jan," Yomikawa said. "And this is Last Order."

"We've met," Celeste said.

Accelerator blinked at the door. She didn't really sound all that happy. In fact, she sounded… His brows furrowed, and he shuffled out of the apartment. Slowly. If he rushed they might think he wanted to see her.

The moment he saw her, his forehead creased further. Just as he suspected. She looked like a panda, and her face was tight.

And when her eyes turned and met his, her expression changed. "Shiro-chan!"

She grinned, body tensing to jump on him, when he held up a hand. Celeste paused, cocking her head in confusion.

"Pfft! 'Shiro-chan', jan!" Yomikawa laughed, and Yoshikawa wasn't that much better at hiding her snickers.

Accelerator scowled. Celeste glanced between him and the women, and understood. He didn't like public displays of affection, and he hated being laughed at.

Of course, she was partly right. Accelerator was ready to send the women flying, but right then he had other priorities. He moved closer, fingers gingerly brushing her side, above where he knew one of her injuries was.

"Don't you have pain meds?" He murmured, quietly enough so the laughing women couldn't hear.

Celeste blinked in surprise. He was worried about _that_?

"Not very useful," she admitted, giving him a pained smile.

He studied her face. Yesterday she had seemed fine. She had been out of the hospital for a couple of days, and never once showed any sign of pain. Still, he had been careful about touching her. And it looked like he was right to.

"I ran out of the morphine this morning," she explained sheepishly. "I'm down to those normal pain meds."

Accelerator sighed and threaded a hand through her hair. Taking that as a sign, Celeste leaned forward into him with a small sigh of her own, wrapping her arms around his waist.

He briefly noticed that the laughter had stopped. Glancing over out of the corner of his eyes, he saw that the two women were gaping at the scene.

They had never, _never_ expected that.

Accelerator was torn between smirking and glaring at them, but he was occupied with Celeste and he _really_ didn't need an audience, thank-you-very-much. So he just glared at them until they left, all the while gently stroking through _his_ Celeste's hair.

It wasn't until the women returned home and prepared for bed that they realized they never learned the girl's name.

* * *

A/N: I always get mixed up between Yoshikawa and Yomikawa. I think I mixed them up in the last chapter of _Cursed Heir_ too, even though I was checking to make sure... If their names weren't so similar...


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: goddessofshadows7212, thanks for the fave and follow. You work fast... I uploaded it and one second later you were there...

Also, thanks for the favs/follows: Kira Minzu, ShadowFire10, and Subtility.

It was _everywhere_.

It had only been three days since their date, and it was _everywhere_.

Accelerator scowled, furious. Celeste stared, amused.

Really, if he weren't a level five and known to be an insane killer with a shitload of enemies, he wouldn't mind. In fact, he would have been happy that the world knew not to touch her.

But since he _was_ a level five known as an insane killer, this was practically a giant arrow pointing at Celeste with 'KILL ME' written on it.

All his enemies would probably attack her, thinking she was his weak spot.

She was. Kind of. Just a little. Maybe a really really tiny bit.

Yet, anybody who dared to attack her or underestimate her would be in a hell load of trouble. Because after she was done with them, _he_ would go make sure they never messed with her again.

…And seriously? Did their relationship have to be plastered on the front page of the newspaper, reported on TV, _and_ plastered all over the internet?

The worst thing? Only one measly website had written 'Accelerator and Titania _Dating_ '. And _that_ was just some urban legends website. Everything else? They all just said 'Accelerator and His Girlfriend!' Meaning they had no idea who she was.

"Kusotare."

She laughed, the sound lifting his mood. Just a little. "It's fine, isn't it? This way everyone knows you're mine."

" _I'm_ yours?" Accelerator spun on his heel, staring at her incredulously. " _You_ belong to me!"

"You're mine too," Celeste stated matter-of-factly. "If any other girl tries to flirt with you, I _will_ attack her. Or boy, for that matter."

Accelerator stared at her, mildly disturbed by the idea that he would have a guy after him. Girls too, for that matter. The moment they annoyed him, he would probably kill them himself. And he would enjoy the terrified looks on their faces.

None of them would ever be Celeste.

She was the only one aside from Last Order who had never been afraid or wary of him.

And he wasn't a pedophile.

"Tch. It's not like I have a fan club or anything. Unlike you."

"Eh? You knew I had a fan club?!"

"No shit."

"How long did you know?! Why didn't you _tell_ me?! I looked on the internet just that once when I came back, and I found the fan site! It's _creepy_ having a group of stalkers!"

"You didn't know?" Accelerator asked, surprised.

She shuddered. "I thought the kids in school were kidding. And I had no idea this creepiness continued outside of school. At least Misaka Mikoto's is scarier."

"Hn. You still have a fan club."

Celeste blinked, staring at him for a second. "I'm not going to leave you."

"You're popular."

"Not interested."

"Good. I'm not letting you go. You're _mine_."

Celeste laughed.

"Possessive, much? So why do you mind those… things so much?" Celeste cocked her head, curious. "Invasion of privacy?"

"No shit," Accelerator spat. "And you're going to be _attacked_ , probably several times every day, because of _this_! Do you know how many enemies I have?"

"Ah! Shiro-chan's worried~!" Celeste grinned.

"Kusotare!" He had to quickly glance away. She did _not_ need to see his face right then.

She blinked, reaching up to tug on a white strand. "Is Shiro-chan _blushing_?"

He felt the heat increase, then again when he heard her laugh.

And he was pretty sure he looked like a tomato when she leaned over and kissed the corner of his lips before resting her chin on his shoulder, arms around his waist.

"It's _fine_. I'm not that weak," she murmured.

"Are you going to use your ability?" He demanded. "Tell them to 'disappear' or 'die'?"

She hesitated.

Accelerator levelled a glare at her, and tugged out of her grasp. Celeste frowned, opening her mouth, but before she could say anything, his arms were around her waist and his head buried between her shoulder and neck.

Her mind went blank.

Was this really _Accelerator_?

Her question was answered when she let out a yelp. He had bitten her _hard_.

"Shiro-chan!" Celeste whined.

"That was for disappearing and getting injured and nearly dying," Accelerator mumbled. "And I'll bite you every time you get hurt."

"Shiro-chan's a seme!" Celeste giggled, and he recoiled to give her a shocked stare. Her eyes were twinkling, a mischievous smile on her lips. She leaned in to murmur in his ear, "Is that the only time you'll bite? Because if it is, then at other times _I'll_ bite."

And she nipped his ear.

His face erupted in heat.

But it was a little consolation when he leaned back to see that _she_ had a dust of pink across her cheeks.

It was kind of cute, he thought. He didn't know she could blush, considering how _bold_ her advances towards him always were.

"Bite me if you can. I bite back," Accelerator smirked, then sighed, the smirk vanishing. "If you get attacked, use your ability and kill them or make them faint. _Anything_. And carry a weapon. In case you haven't noticed, you're injured."

"I haven't noticed. There isn't a stabbing pain in my back and side every time I move," Celeste deadpanned.

Accelerator smirked. Now _there_ was the snarky side he rarely saw. It wasn't really fair, that she already knew everything about him, every side of his personality. Yet he hadn't ever seen her mean, cruel, sadistic, or sarcastic sides until very recently.

She probably developed it over the three years she was gone.

He hated it, but he loved it. It was disappointing that the pure and cheerful girl he had known in his childhood had become tainted, like him. But at the same time, it meant he could _be_ with her, since he won't taint her.

And it was kind of made him feel special seeing her so sweet with him but so cruel to others.

But if _anyone_ ever read his mind and told _her_ everything he thought about her, he would tear them apart piece by piece. She didn't need her ego blown up any more.

"I'll start carrying my pocket knife," she sighed. "And I will use my ability on anyone who attacks."

"Good."

It was silent for a moment.

"Hey, can't you use your ability to stop feeling pain?" Accelerator inquired.

"Yeah. But I lose my entire sense of touch."

"Better than pain."

She pouted. "Then I won't feel Shiro-chan when I touch you!"

Don't blush don't blush don't blush don't blu—ah shit.

"Tch. Idiot."

* * *

A/N: Lol. Accelerator has no fan club. If only he knew...

Besides, by now shouldn't he have realized that Celeste has been his fan for just about forever? Not to mention Last Order...


	3. Chapter 3

"Hey, isn't that Accelerator's girlfriend?"

Celeste almost groaned. Weren't people sick of the topic yet? Because she sure was. She was dating Accelerator. She was willing to scream it to the world.

She was _not_ willing to have their relationship made a spectacle out of.

"Yeah. Poor girl."

Her fists clenched. And _that_ line she had heard too many times. Exactly what was wrong with her dating Accelerator? What was so pitiable about it?! No, she was _not_ forced into it. And no, Accelerator was _not_ going to kill her!

They were treating him like a deranged axe-murderer and her like his next victim, and it _pissed her off_.

He didn't use axes.

…And that was beside the point.

She just hoped Accelerator wouldn't hear what everyone was saying. He would be hurt. He always _had_ been a little sensitive about social matters after all. Growing up with people treating you like a monster does wonders for your social self-esteem.

It drops your social self-esteem into the deepest depths of the ocean and feeds it to the fishes with lights on their heads, and does it so quickly that you're left _wondering_.

"Hey, isn't that Accelerator's girlfriend?" A new voice snickers.

And there were those types too. Just how many more deformed idiots were there on the streets, lucky enough to survive having their attacks reflected back at them?

"Ya know, if we take her, he'll be _pissed_ ," another added. "What 'dya think? Grab his girl and watch 'im grovel while we beat 'im up. He won't be able to do a thing when we got his girl."

"Now how about that," the first one smirks. "We can have some fun in the meantime."

Celeste raised an eyebrow, slowing her step. Correction. How many surviving, deformed, idiotic _morons_ were left on the streets, and how the hell were they still alive when they didn't even have the brain capacity needed to know not to discuss nefarious plans in front of their intended victims?

"Yeah. How did _he_ snag a cute one anyways?"

The man snorted. "Threatened her, of course. Think of it. We'd be doin' her a favour by getting him out of her life."

"Now how about that," the first man continued to smirk. "Sounds interesting. She'll probably come and thank us later! Hahaha!"

"Now how about that."

"Yeah!" The rest of the men cheered.

Then they paused, confused. What? Only then did they realize there _was_ no female in their group, and the speaker was standing in front of them, fire burning in her eyes and a cold smirk on her lips.

"Hey, aren't you Accelerator's girl?" One of them demanded.

"I would think so, since you _were_ talking about me only six seconds ago. Not to mention my face is plastered all over the media," Celeste retorted.

Idiots.

"Heh. We're gonna kidnap ya and do ya and force yer boyfriend to watch while he can't do anything."

"Yes. I know. I heard your entire conversation. And I have no idea how all of you ugly bastards are still alive. Haven't pissed Shi—Accelerator off enough times yet? Or did you run screaming and crying for your mommies before he could finish the job?" Celeste smirked, cocking her head arrogantly.

"Hey! Don't insult my mommy!"

"I didn't."

"… Oh. It's fine, then."

"No, it's not fine, you idiot!" His friend shouted, slapping him upside the head. "The bitch insulted us!"

"At least I'm a cute bitch," Celeste cut in smugly. "And you're jealous 'cuz Accelerator has a cute girlfriend while you ugly shits have nothing but each other. You don't have anything nice to look at. Sad, don't you think?"

Another confused look crossed their faces. Celeste rolled her eyes. They probably got that she was insulting them. Or rather, they probably will get it sometime in the next century.

"Did she just insult us?"

"She called herself a bitch."

"I dunno. It _feels_ like an insult…"

"But she called herself a bitch."

"Are you done yet?" Celeste asked. "I have places to go, things to do, and idiots to not see."

Again, confused looks.

"Bah, let's just get her!"

They circled her, effectively trapping her in the middle. She appraised them. It was pretty well done. They knew how to gang up on someone and intimidate them, most likely before beating them up as a group in an organized manner. They must have had a lot of practice.

But…

Celeste sighed. After disappearing for three years, it looked like everyone already forgot who Titania was. Silver blonde hair and purple tinged grey eyes. Black combat boots. The symbol of Thelema tattooed immediately under her left collarbone. Those had been her trademarks since she was a child. They should have recognized that, especially since almost all her shirts actually _revealed_ the tattoo.

Then again, Titania from three years ago didn't dye her bangs, nor did she dress like a punk. And three years was enough time to forget someone.

For a moment, she considered taking out her knife and scaring them a bit. But they all probably had some form of weapon, and she knew as well as any fighter that drawing a weapon meant you were prepared to either kill or die.

And right now she had no idea what kind of STDs they carried, and did _not_ want their blood touching her injuries and possibly contaminating her, thank you very much.

Besides, she was in _pain_ and did _not_ want to fight and tear her stitches. Accelerator would throw a fit. And probably would hunt them down to crush them with a mountain or two.

"You are all at home."

They had no time to blink before they disappeared.

Celeste sighed, feeling her injuries throb. Things like this were easy. Moving people and things around took little energy. But considering that a lot of her energy was going towards healing her wounds, and about half of the remainder had gone to dispelling all the _other_ idiots who thought she would be easy meat, she was _tired_.

To think this was just from grocery shopping.

"I am at the grocery store," she said, weary.

She saw everyone jump as she suddenly appeared, but within seconds returned to their tasks. In Academy City, nothing would surprise them. A teleporter appearing out of nowhere was nothing compared to some things they've seen.

And of course, Celeste was stupid enough to leave the grocery store on foot. Three steps. That was all she took. She was planning on 'teleporting'. She really was. But she had wanted to at least be _outside_ before she did. Did they really have to surround her at the grocery shop doors?

"I'm not in a good mood. I'm hungry, tired, and in pain. If you don't want to die, I suggest you _move_ ," Celeste growled, glaring at the group.

"Hmm? Your little _boyfriend_ here with you? I didn't see him around, did you?" One of them sneered.

Celeste raised her brow, pissed. "He's not the only one capable of killing. Now _move_."

The smarter, more sensitive ones shuffled nervously. Was that _killing intent_?

"Oi, boss. The girl's dangerous," one of the younger ones muttered.

"She's definitely killed before," another one added.

"And if you don't want to join them in feeding worms, you should _leave_ ," Celeste cut in.

"Oi! You guys! This is Judgement! Disband immediately!" A female voice shouted.

"Hah?!"

"Ganging up on a girl… You're the worst!" Another girl shouted.

And electricity crackled.


	4. Chapter 4

goddessofshadows7212: It's really nice of you to say that! And I do try to get the chapters out as quickly as possible. I hate waiting for chapters to come out, so I try not to make my readers wait either.

* * *

Electricity crackled.

Celeste blinked and took a step back and to the side, behind one of the two small potted tree in front of the grocery store. Just in time too. A split second later, a wave of electricity surged over the group, effectively burning hair and clothes. The men collapsed, unconscious.

Celeste eyed the bodies. That would hurt later. She smirked, unsympathetic. Good.

"Hey, you okay?"

Celeste glanced up from the bodies to look into the worried eyes of her saviour. Tokiwadai's Ace.

"Yes," Celeste answered. "Thanks."

"Ah, no problem," the younger girl answered, smiling.

So this was the Railgun. She had never met Misaka Mikoto in person, despite having been her senpai for almost half a year in middle school.

Celeste cocked her head. "You know, you were pretty cute at age ten. Still cute now, of course, but you're turning more 'pretty' than 'cute' at this point."

"Uhh… Thanks…?"

The other girl, the one with pigtails, gasped dramatically. "You! You're not flirting with onee-sama, are you? Because this Kuroko will not allow it! Onee-sama belongs to me—oof."

" _You_ shut up!" Misaka Mikoto round-kicked Kuroko in the stomach, dropping the Judgement member.

Celeste was not a little disturbed when the girl smiled up from the ground, clutching her abdomen in pain, and said, "Ah, onee-sama! Pay more attention to me! Kick me all you want, it would be wonderful to have more skin-ship!"

Misaka did not bother to answer in words. Celeste had to hide a smile as Misaka shocked her friend with the same voltage she had shocked the men with.

"Sorry about her," Misaka said sheepishly.

"No problem…" Celeste frowned. "That… wouldn't be Shirai Kuroko, would it?"

"Yes. How did you—"

"You have a fan site. I came across it by accident. And after I saw what 'Shirai Kuroko' posted I swore to stay five miles away from her at all times."

Celeste watched as shivers ran up and down Misaka's body, a terrified and disgusted look on the younger girl's face.

"If _that's_ going to high school soon, I'm glad I dropped out…" Celeste muttered, eyeing Kuroko warily. "I don't want a creepy stalker kouhai…"

Misaka frowned, thinking for a moment. She asked, "Did you go to Tokiwadai?"

Celeste smiled at her and nodded.

Misaka blinked. Was she a delinquent…? Looked like one, plus she dropped out of school… But she furrowed her brows. Why did her senpai look so familiar?

It hit her. "Ah! You're Accelerator's girlfriend!"

"I'm doomed to be known only as 'Accelerator's Girlfriend'?"

Misaka thought for a second, and remembered Saten's words. "Titania?"

"That's better," the blonde smiled. "I'm glad there's _one_ person who remembers who I am."

Misaka laughed nervously. Should she tell the older girl that it was because of Saten's urban legends website? But she was pretty sure she had heard the name 'Titania' before. And not from Shakespeare.

Misaka frowned. Wasn't it a few years back? When she was a lot younger? She had heard of a level four as famous as any level five because of the rarity and remarkability of her ability.

"AH!" Misaka shouted, eyes wide in realization.

Titania. Named after the fairy queen in Shakespeare because her abilities seemed almost magical, and sounded overwhelming to any normal person. Real Illusion, wasn't it? To be able to make anything seem real, to the point where the mind would be deceived and the body affected… Almost as if she was manipulating reality.

It would be terrifying if she was an enemy.

Celeste raised an eyebrow at the shout, and Misaka blushed.

" _Tsuu ka yo, uttoushiin da. Tengoku nante doko ni mo nee darou. Tsuu ka yo, amattaruizee. Tamatta doro ga omokute. Yabai ne, massugu arukenee…"_ The song rang out, and both Misaka and Celeste looked startled.

"Sorry," Celeste said with a small smile, and answered the phone. "Hel—"

"Hurry _up_ , you idiot! How long does it take to get some groceries, kusotare!"

Misaka blinked in surprise at the familiar voice practically shouting through the phone.

"Sorry. There were just a lot of idiots today—"

"I don't give a damn how many idiots are on the streets! Just get back here _now_!" Accelerator snarled.

"But—" She put down the phone, interrupted by the dial tone. Celeste sighed, muttering under her breath, "But I wasn't even going to your place…"

The girl couldn't help but smile, though. Accelerator was listening and waiting for her to get home safely! And people—read Aleister—asked why she liked him? Accelerator was sweet. Even if he did swear at her in the process of worrying.

"Erm…" Misaka murmured, looking like she wanted to be anywhere but there. "That was…"

"Shir—Accelerator!" Celeste answered happily.

Misaka discreetly backed away a step. She had never heard of someone being so _happy_ when they were insulted and ordered around. Maybe Titania was half insane. She probably had to be to date Accelerator.

It was _creepy_ that _that_ Accelerator would be dating someone. Especially someone cute and cheerful. Someone insane, however, was a different story. And Titania definitely had a few screws loose.

If she hadn't lost all of them already.

But watching Celeste's face, she was pretty sure Accelerator wasn't hurting the girl or forcing her to do anything. Otherwise the girl would look terrified. Misaka had _seen_ abused girls. She had saved a few girls from men on the streets. She had even met one or two Tokiwadai students with secret relationships, and secret abusive relationships at that. They were always frightened and sliding in and out of depression, and whenever their boyfriend contacted them, they looked absolutely terrified. They dreaded the contact.

Celeste? Just the opposite. Misaka sighed.

"Are you going to be okay?" Misaka asked. "Walking home, I mean. He has a lot of enemies, you know."

"Hmm? Yeah. I'm fine, thanks. See you around, kouhai-chan!" Celeste grinned.

Misaka saw her mouth move, and she was gone. Misaka blinked in surprise, staring at the empty space for a moment. Teleport…? Then she shook her head. Probably an invisibility illusion. Not a bad idea, if any more of Accelerator's enemies planned to attack her.

And speaking of going home…

"Oi, Kuroko. How long are you going to sleep?"

"Ah, onee-sama, you're so cruel~" Kuroko moaned.

* * *

A/N: And Celeste's ringtone is... Well, anybody could guess, right? 99.9% Noisy by Accelerator!


	5. Chapter 5

ReadingLurking: Thanks! I'm glad Celeste makes you smile.

* * *

"Hey, isn't that Accelerator's girlfriend?"

"She's hot."

"Yeah?" A voice growled.

The two men stiffened and turned, ever so slowly, dreading the owner of the voice.

And screams echoed through the dark alleyway.

Celeste half turned, cocking her head. "Did you hear something?"

Accelerator furrowed his brows. "No."

"Hmm," Celeste hummed, still listening, but there was no more noise.

They walked in silence for a moment. Accelerator didn't know how the hell he was supposed to ask her. He didn't _want_ to ask her. If he did, he knew he would regret it.

But if he didn't, he would regret it too.

"Oi. Come over for dinner tonight."

Okay, so it wasn't exactly 'asking'. But it functioned, right?

"And it's not a date," Accelerator told her quickly. "The brat's coming back and the annoying women are coming with her."

"Okay. So if it's not a date, when's our second date?" Celeste asked.

Accelerator huffed and looked away. How was he supposed to know? And didn't this count as a date? They were together most of the time anyways, going out to eat or just hanging out.

"Or does what we normally do count as a date?" Celeste wondered. "I'm not really sure. It's almost the same as when we were younger, but we actually have skin contact now…"

"What's the difference?" Accelerator snapped. "Who cares what's a proper date or not when this is fine?"

She hesitated for a moment, searching for the right words. "Do you… enjoy this? Do you have fun, I mean?"

"Fun…"

"Wrong word," Celeste laughed shyly. "But do you?"

Should he tell her? He'd sworn he would never. But then again, he also swore he would never tell her how he felt about her, and look where that got him?

"Don't ask me to say something so embarrassing," he said curtly. "I'm here, we actually have skin contact, and you're not dead."

She grinned, reaching out to grab his hand. "Yeah. Me too. As long as I'm with Shiro-chan, I'm happy."

"Tch. Idiot."

He dreaded the walk home. With every step they took towards his apartment, his dread grew. And not even her fingers laced with his could cheer him up.

"We're back," he grumbled as he cautiously opened the door.

"Yo," Yomikawa greeted.

"Welcome home," Yoshikawa added.

"Accelerator! Cici! Misaka Misaka shouts happily after not having seen either person for days."

"Hey, kid," Celeste smiled, moving Accelerator into the apartment with a series of light pushes. "Hello, Yomikawa-san, Yoshikawa-san."

"Hello," Yoshikawa said politely. "Erm, sorry, but we don't know your name…"

"Accelerator wouldn't tell us, jan."

"Celeste Crowley. Nice to meet you," Celeste bowed slightly.

"A foreigner?" Yoshikawa asked, surprised.

"So the blonde was natural, jan…" Yomikawa muttered.

"No shit," Accelerator muttered under his breath, and Celeste hid a smile.

They moved further into the apartment. It felt a little awkward to the two, despite the fact that Accelerator lived there and that Celeste had been there several times.

Having two women and a ten year old watching their every move like hawks watching a pair of mice really had an effect on people.

Celeste wondered when the food would be ready. Eating would probably relieve the tension in the air…

But it didn't. The clinking of utensils filled the silence, but it was in no way comfortable. She was pretty sure the two older women were trying to bore holes into her with their eyes. Celeste unconsciously moved closer to Accelerator. His eyes flicked to her, but he gave no other sign of acknowledgement.

Celeste wanted to slam her head against the table.

Just _start_ the interrogation already! She already _knew_ the two women had a shitload of questions to ask, so why were they so _silent_?!

"So…"

Finally. Accelerator hid a smirk at the obvious relief on Celeste's face.

"How long have you known each other?" Yoshikawa asked.

"Eight years, five months, three days, twelve hours, twenty minutes," Celeste answered.

Now _everyone_ shot her strange looks.

"Minus the three days. I forgot you the minute you introduced yourself the first time," Accelerator cut in.

The strange looks shot towards the boy.

Celeste pouted. "That's mean."

He shrugged.

"And how did you meet, jan?"

"Class," was the simple answer.

"How old are you?"

"Sixteen."

"Esper?"

"Yes."

"Level?"

Celeste hesitated. Should she tell the truth…?

"Four. Ability Real Illusion," Accelerator answered for her.

She gave him a small smile. He ignored it. But his left hand found its way to her thigh.

"Why him, jan?"

Aaand the hand stiffened, fingers digging into flesh. But his expression didn't change.

"Because he's an adorable tsu—Ow!" Celeste yelped.

Accelerator glared at her. If she _dared_ finish that sentence…

She smiled sheepishly, understanding his glare perfectly. Okay, so no talking about his tsundere-ness or how sweet he was.

Not that they would believe her.

"Because he's really cute," Celeste amended.

Because he's really cute inside and out, she didn't say.

"Cute…" Yomikawa and Yoshikawa stared at Accelerator, trying to find the 'cute' that Celeste was talking about. His personality was shit, as far as they knew. And his looks… They had no idea what 'cute' she was talking about.

"Has he ever hurt you?"

The two adults' eyes sharpened. The two had stiffened visibly at the question. But for very different reasons.

"He had," Yoshikawa stated.

"No," Celeste barked. But Accelerator remained silent.

"Accelerator. Have you?"

He glared at the women. But he couldn't say no. "Yeah. So?"

Celeste turned with a scowl, growling at Accelerator. He averted his gaze with a scowl of his own.

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"Yes."

"No."

"Hah!" Celeste crowed in triumph.

Accelerator glared at her.

"So…" Yomikawa raised an eyebrow, her Anti-Skill instincts kicking in. If Accelerator had hurt the girl…

"No," Celeste said, glaring at the women for even daring suggest such a thing. And when Accelerator opened his mouth to argue, she quickly added, "Never on purpose."

"Tch," Accelerator huffed.

"But he has hurt you," Yomikawa said.

A hand slammed on the table with a loud 'BANG', the speaker half out of the chair in anger. "Kusotare! What part of 'no' don't you people understand?!"

The entire table stared at the speaker, stunned.

"Don't pick up my habits, idiot," Accelerator rolled his eyes, pulling Celeste back into her seat.

She reluctantly sat down, but she continued to glare at the women. Accelerator rolled his eyes again and swatted her upside the head.

"Hey!" She shot him a wounded look.

"Stop glaring."

"Hai," she pouted.

Accelerator sighed. "I'll go buy dessert."

Her face brightened. "Cake!"

"Ice cream, Misaka Misaka shouts."

"Ice cream cake!"

"Whatever."

"Whipped…" Yomikawa muttered.

He spun on his heel with a glare. " _What_?"

"Whipped cream, jan," Yomikawa amended quickly, an innocent smile on her face.

"Tch. Kusotare."


	6. Chapter 6

The scientists sat in a circle, passing the cookies and brownies. Their wives had baked the sweet treats—those of them who had wives, that is. It was surprisingly difficult to get married and stay married in their occupation. Scientists and researchers practically lived in their labs, rarely returning home. They only went back for the laundry. And of course, most of them had aged—rather badly, one might add—without finding a woman who would put up with them.

After all, what woman wanted a husband who was usually home one or two hours a month?

And on second thought, it must be why they were passing around fat and sugar filled treats. They were delicious. The room was in consensus about that.

But the married ones suspected their wives were trying to off them in a manner nobody would suspect. Diabetes and heart attacks.

One of the scientists glanced suspiciously at the brownie his wife baked, sitting on his paper plate. She may want him gone enough to put arsenic in there, for all he knew.

And then he shrugged and popped the morsel into his mouth anyways.

"Ahem…"

Everybody continued eating.

" _Ahem_ ," the self proclaimed leader of the group cleared his throat. "We're here for a _reason_."

"Ah yes. Counselling, was it?"

" _NO!_ " The leader, Ushino Ana practically cried, losing hope quickly. "We're here to discuss the… situation regarding Accelerator!"

Unimpressed eyes turned to him for a mere moment before their attention returned to the treats circulating the room.

What? They hadn't had homemade food for a long time. For some of them, perhaps fifty years, give or take a decade.

"He has a _girlfriend_ ," Ushino proclaimed, rather dramatically.

"Yes. We know," Morino commented, rolling his eyes. "It is all over the news."

"To be more precise, it is all over the television news media, the paper news media, and various pages of the internet. Most of which, by the way, are not worth the time to look at," Mizuno added.

"So what are we going to _do_ about it?!" Ushino cried out.

"Nothing," Morino said flatly.

"Yes. He was defeated by a level _zero_ , of all things, and he cannot even use his ability without the Misaka Network," Mizuno supplemented.

Ushino sighed, ego deflating. He had never been a lead researcher slash scientist in _anything_. He simply did not have the brains, nor the creativity. He had graduated with average grades, had grown to an average height and weight, and his genes had (not) blessed him with average looks. He was utterly unremarkable in every way. And he had jumped at the chance to take the lead in _something_.

"But he is still a level five, and the closest one to achieving level six! To date a mere level four, of all things…" Ushino shook his head, peeking hopefully up through his lashes to see if he had piqued anyone's interest.

"I suppose," Mizuno said, an air of disinterest around him.

Ushino was so pleased that he received a reply that he had not noticed that only Morino and Mizuno were paying him any attention. More than half the circle had left when the cookies were gone, and the remaining were passing around the brownies and ignoring the conversation.

"So are we in agreement?" Ushino Ana asked eagerly. "We get rid of this no-name level four weakling? We get Accelerator to go out with someone more… acceptable?"

"Whatever."

The ecstatic Ushino took that as agreement and clapped his hands once, loudly. "Then meeting adjourned! We will meet again to discuss the details!"

He left the room in a swirl of robes.

* * *

"O-oi. I-I'm sorry, okay? I… I didn't mean to say anything bad about them. Please? Don't… Don't hurt me!"

The monster approached. The man's eyes widened and he scrambled, trying to escape. But he wasn't fast enough.

"AAARRGH!"

* * *

Celeste sat between Accelerator's legs, the two watching the news. There had been one 'urgent' news running repeatedly after every few items.

"Hmm, people have been attacked a lot recently," Celeste commented, leaning back against Accelerator.

"Tch."

"Right. It doesn't really matter when you're strong."

"Tch."

"I know, right? They're probably just idiots fighting each other."

"Tch."

"I _know_ we'll be fine. But it doesn't hurt to be careful, right?"

Last Order stared at the two, dumbfounded. All she heard was Celeste talking and Accelerator going 'tch'. So why did the two act like they were having a proper conversation?

And how the heck did Celeste understand everything Accelerator was 'saying'?!

Last Order suspected that the girl was secretly a telepath slash teleporter slash wish granter.

' _Do you know what I am thinking, Misaka Misaka shouts very loudly in her head!_ ' Last Order thought hard.

But Celeste didn't look her way. She didn't even twitch.

Last Order sighed. So not a mind reader.

Or rather, Accelerator's personal mind reader. That was probably it. If she couldn't read Accelerator's mind, she would never have stuck with him through all those years, and she would never have dated him.

Last Order frowned. Why _did_ the cute and nice and cheerful Cici date a mean and grumpy and psychotic Accelerator? They didn't match.

"Ano ne, ano ne, Misaka Misaka asks nervously, not wanting to interrupt but really curious. Has Cici ever killed anyone?"

"Plenty," Celeste answered seriously.

"Did Cici have fun? Misaka Misaka asks, growing curious."

Celeste thought about it. Accelerator's eyes bore holes into the back of her head. He wanted to know too. Did she have fun killing?

She grinned. "Well, there _was_ a group of idiots associated with my family who said that anybody who put up with me was stupid and out of their minds."

Last Order blinked.

"It was fun listening to them scream and beg for mercy," Celeste said, almost dreamily. "I will never forgive anyone who insults Shiro-chan and or onii-chan."

Accelerator blinked. "Aleister is an idiot who deserves to die."

Celeste half turned in surprise, then pouted. "Shiro-chan! That's not fair! You _know_ I would forgive the two of you for _anything_ except you killing each other!"

"Tch."

Celeste grinned, pecking his nose and watching him turn pink. "Well, I guess it doesn't matter. Since Shiro-chan didn't mean it anyways."

"I did."

"But Shiro-chan is tsun-tsun. You're only saying that because onii-chan hurt people you cared about," the grin never faltered, even when Accelerator gave her his best scowl.

"Do _not_ call me tsu— _that_! I'm _not_ , you idiot! Kusotare!"

"Hmm," Celeste hummed, cuddling against him.

He cursed himself when his arms automatically went around her waist, carefully avoiding the healing injuries.

She murmured against him, "Tsu-n-de-re~!"

"Shut up," he grumbled. But he pulled her closer and relaxed.

* * *

A/N: Anybody who understands Japanese, watches or reads Gintama would understand Ushino Ana's name. I do not take credit for name. Poor, insignificant, _normal_ Ushino Ana. What were his parents _thinking_?

Also, just a note for the sticklers for grammar: I know there are words that need a hyphen. But I'm usually too lazy to reach over for that key. It means I actually have to _stretch_ my fingers. Why do they make keyboards so big anyways? No consideration for people with small hands...


	7. Chapter 7

ultron emperor: Thank you so much!

* * *

The last few days had been _hell_. None of Judgement Branch 177's members had gone home. Instead they slept at the branch office and ate convenient store bento's. Kuroko just _knew_ the dorm supervisor would be very irritated with her once she returned, even though she had turned in a signed and stamped letter and permission form from the Judgement heads.

It hadn't been this bad at first, when the case began. Espers were attacked here and there. It happened all the time. This was _Academy City_ , for goodness sakes!

But then there were more victims. There were more attackers.

And then they found out that the situation resembled a war where neither the victims nor attackers knew each other.

This had _never_ happened before. No matter how odd the cases, there was eventually a connection. Yet this case seemed so completely random that both Judgement and Anti-Skill were utterly baffled.

The door opened.

"Onee-sama, you're here _again_?" Kuroko asked, torn between leaping for joy and annoyance.

Misaka Mikoto stepped through the door, shutting it behind her.

"What, I can't visit a friend?" Misaka said.

Kuroko gasped, grinning. "Onee-sama! You think so highly of me? This Kuroko misses you too, onee-sama. I just knew you would come to your senses and discover your desire for me when we are forced apart!"

"I was talking about Mii-senpai and Uiharu," Misaka said, sidestepping to avoid the lunging hug. She heard a crash, but ignored it, even though it was suspiciously silent afterwards.

The two said females raised a hand in greeting before returning to their work. Misaka surveyed the group of Judgement 177 Branch members. Every one of them looked exhausted. They had dark bags under their bloodshot eyes, and their bodies simply _sagged_. The smell of coffee permeated the air, most likely from the many cups they drank to no avail.

"Is the case this hard?" Misaka asked.

"Espers with no relation to each other are attacking each other with no possible motives," Mii said wearily. "And most of the victims and the attackers arrested are unconscious."

"The only common thread is that the victims were talking about Accelerator or his girlfriend," Uiharu added with a sigh.

"Then isn't it—"

"It can't be Accelerator," Mii said immediately. "And I don't think he has any friends who would do something like that."

"He doesn't have any friends at all," Misaka muttered. She still held a grudge against him, even though she knew that Academy City was more at fault than the older boy. Then an idea hit. "Could it have been Titania? There were a lot of people attacking her—"

"But we've arrested attackers too. And we've checked up on those who had been attacked by Titania. Their bystanders reported the incidents, and most of the victims in those cases got away with mild bruises, and were at most knocked out," Kuroko groaned, finally regaining consciousness after having slammed head first into the door.

The office fell silent once again, except the clicking of keyboards and the occasional sigh. Misaka felt slightly out of place in this tense and exhausted atmosphere.

 _BRIIINNG!_

Everybody jumped, shocked into a state of alertness, looking around wildly before their eyes settled on the phone.

Placing a hand on her chest to calm her racing heartbeat, Mii picked up the phone. "Hello? Understood. We'll be there immediately."

The smile she had when she hung up said a lot.

"What is it?" Misaka asked, eager to beat somebody up. Preferably some attacker, or even better, the mastermind. Because at this point, she was pretty sure there was someone behind everything.

"There is a pair of attacker and victim awake and ready for questioning," Mii said.

Uiharu and Kuroko visibly brightened. After days of searching without a single hint, this could get them started on a path to solving the case. Of course, it could also lead to another dead end, but everything held a possibility.

They traveled quickly for a group that lacked sleep and proper nutrition, Misaka thought wryly as they sped along. And within five minutes, they reached a destination that should have been fifteen minutes away by foot.

Kuroko began the questioning. "I am Kuroko from Judgement. You will answer us truthfully. Why did you attack him?"

The attacker hung her head, eyes distressed. "I don't know! He was a monster!"

The group of girls blinked.

"Please explain," Kuroko ordered.

Mii shook her head, and leaned forward in her chair, and with her tone almost gentle, asked, "What are your names?"

"Kaede," the attacker said.

"Hiro," the victim said.

"We'll listen to both of your stories, okay?" Mii said, and Misaka found herself thinking that Mii made a much better interrogator than Kuroko did. Kindness did more than an arrogant image and demanding personality. "We'll start with Hiro-kun. What happened?"

"I… We were joking around about Accelerator," Hiro muttered miserably, not meeting anyone's eyes. "Me and my friends. Something about how _that_ monster could get a girl. And then suddenly _she_ attacked out of nowhere."

Mii nodded understandingly. "And Kaede-chan?"

"I was just walking, and suddenly there was this giant spider!" Kaede answered, sounding close to panic. "I hate spiders. They're the one thing I'm terrified of! I attacked it, and then afterwards Judgement came and took me away. I fell unconscious after that."

"Hah?! You attacked _us_. What giant spider?!" Hiro demanded, fists balled, anger apparent in his eyes.

"I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry! I only saw you as you afterwards, but before that you were a spider!" Kaede bowed repeatedly, tears in her eyes.

Confused looks passed between the Judgement members and Misaka. Spider? She clearly attacked Hiro and his friends. And giant spiders didn't exist…

Scratch that. This was Academy City.

But still, there was no giant spider, or else many more people would have reported the sight. That only left one thing. If she wasn't lying, the level three wind user had seen Hiro as something else. Hiro was a level two teleporter, his friends level ones of various abilities. None of them could transform, none of them could cause someone to think they were a spider, of all things.

"Have you ever met before?" Uiharu asked, cutting into the tension between attacker and victim.

"No. Never," Kaede said tearfully.

"No," Hiro snapped.

The three Judgement members sighed.

"Thank you for your time," Mii said, and they left.

A dead end.

But Misaka didn't think so. "Ne, Uiharu. Can you check the database? For anyone who could make someone else see something different from reality?"

Uiharu blinked, brightened. So there _was_ something they had gleaned from the interrogation! It was a good thing that Misaka was there, because their sleep deprived minds had not picked up on it.

The moment they returned, Uiharu hacked into the database, pulling up a list of light benders and telepaths level four and above. A short list.

"That's it?" Misaka asked.

"They're the only ones capable of creating the illusion of something in someone's mind," Uiharu replied, looking over the list of three.

Something in Misaka's mind clicked.

"One more. Search for illusionists," Misaka said.

"Illusionists? There's only one," Mii said, catching on.

"Titania, user of Real Illusion. Also known as Celeste Crowley. Accelerator's girlfriend."


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Regarding the connection with the light novel storylines (not really spoilers):

Cursed Heir is supposed to be set after the Battle Royale Arc and before the Dragon Arc, and the events run parallel to the Acqua Arc. Because Accelerator doesn't really appear in that arc, you see, so he has a lot of free time :)

Blood Heir takes place a little before and during the Dragon Arc.

Last Heir takes place during and after WWIII. My story will not go into Shinyaku Toaru Majutsu no Index. The light novels are too complicated as it is...

* * *

Accelerator glared at the group of _females_ in front of him.

They stared back, unwavering.

His glare darkened. Those damned Judgement members should be _terrified_ of him. Once they had never dared even look his way, never dared touch him. But here were two _idiots_ who didn't know what was best for them.

He wondered if killing Judgement members would bring all of Academy City down on him. The top dog of Academy City considered him a pawn, after all, so would Aleister get rid of him for two mere Judgement members?

Tch. What the hell did they want anyways?

"Leave, kusotare," Accelerator growled, and slammed the door in their faces.

He didn't want or need to find out. He wasn't curious enough to want to deal with the irritating females just to find out why they were banging on his door.

"This is Judgement! Open the door immediately!" Kuroko shouted, slamming her fist against the door.

"Tch."

"Shouldn't you open the door?" Celeste asked, raising her eyes from the television.

Accelerator eyed the girl. She was probably spending half her time in his apartment. He didn't mind, really, but it meant those irritating insects were knocking on _his_ door.

He just _knew_ he shouldn't have opened the door in the first place. Loud, incessant banging on his door was _never_ a good thing. In fact, loud, stubborn females were never a good thing. He let two get attached to him, and look what _that_ got him.

Two annoyances that practically hung off him.

Precisely, a girlfriend and a 'daughter' that he wouldn't mind destroying the world for if they ever got hurt, but that was beside the point.

" _You_ open it," he growled.

She shrugged and opened the door…

Only for a fist to land on her forehead.

Celeste blinked, and said mildly, "Ouch."

"Ah, sorry," Kuroko said in reflex, and stopped trying to pound on the open door.

The older girl with glasses nudged the creepy Misaka stalking middle school girl aside, and cleared her throat. "We are Judgement. I am Konori Mii—"

"That's very nice," Celeste interrupted, and raised an eyebrow at the armbands. "Something you need?"

"Yes! You're under arrest—" Kuroko shouted.

Mii shoved the younger girl to the side. "Are you Celeste Crowley?"

"Yes," Celeste crossed her arms, leaning against the side of the doorway. "What's it to you?"

"Hah! Hostile behaviour! Guilt—"

Mii once shoved a hand against her kouhai's mouth, effectively muffling the words. Her eyes flicked to the white that had 'mysteriously' appeared behind the blonde the moment Kuroko said 'arrest'. Mii shifted nervously. Everyone who had more than two brain cells knew Accelerator was dangerous.

She knew Misaka Mikoto was afraid of him, or at least wary of him, meaning she should be doubly afraid.

And the boy she should be terrified of was glaring at her.

To her credit, Mii's face remained composed despite her inner self running around in circles, screaming like a headless chicken. Her tongue flicked out to wet her suddenly dry lips.

It didn't help much, considering her mouth was just as dry.

"They're not going to arrest me. Go back in," Celeste said.

"Don't give me orders," Accelerator growled, and Mii got ready to run for her life, but he only turned on his heel with an audible huff.

"Accelerator, is Cici going to be arrested? Is she a bad guy? Or are the others the bad guys? Misaka Misaka asks while preparing for a fight."

Celeste glanced over her shoulder.

"Put that gun down, dumbass!" Accelerator snarled. "Where the hell did you get that anyways?!"

 _BOOM!_

Silence.

"Sorry, Misaka Misaka says sheepishly as she tries to hide the gun after accidentally firing it."

"I really don't think a bazooka counts as a gun," Celeste said wryly.

A string of curse words flew from Accelerator's mouth as he grabbed the offending weapon and crushed it with his bare hands.

" _Titania_! Come fix my wall, damn it!" Accelerator growled.

"Excuse me," Celeste said, more politely than she thought the two Judgement members deserved. Or rather, more politely than she thought Kuroko deserved.

Mii could only stand awkwardly in the doorway. She wanted to run far, far away and let Anti-Skill deal with these insane people. They've lost all the screws in their heads, _and_ all their marbles…

"Why? I think I like the wall the way it is now," Celeste's voice floated out from inside the apartment.

"What the hell?"

"This way I can come in without going through the door," Celeste said cheekily.

Silence met the statement.

"Fine, fine. There's a door in the wall where the hole currently is," Celeste sighed. "Happy?"

Silence.

"Where the hell did my chair go?" Accelerator asked.

"It turned into the door."

"Tch."

Mii stared. That was in _no way_ a normal, sane conversation, yet the inhabitants of the apartment seemed to take it as one.

Now Mii wanted to move to Siberia. It might be a little cold, but at least there were no espers. Because the excuse that 'this was _Academy City_ ' didn't seem to cut it when dealing with those two. She had met plenty of _normal_ espers. Or at least as normal as a person with strange abilities could get. None of _them_ had any screws loose.

… Maybe it was a level four and level five thing. She knew Shirai Kuroko, after all.

But that didn't really explain Saten Ruiko.

Alright, so maybe it was a level four and level five thing, and infected the people who hung out with the said espers.

… Was it contagious? Because she really liked her mind the way it was now. Not insane.

"Oi! Who the hell said I wanted a door between our apartments?!" Accelerator half shouted, suddenly realizing the implications.

"It's fine, isn't it? I'm over here all the time anyways."

"That's not the point! It makes it easier if you suddenly decide to come over in the middle of the night and… and… annoy me!"

And it's not like I can't come in any time I want," Celeste pointed out.

"Good point, Misaka Misaka cheers."

" _You_ stay out of this!"

"But I can get rid of the door if you want. Give your chair back," Celeste said.

Silence.

"Never liked that chair anyways," Accelerator muttered, and there was a poof as he flung himself onto the couch.

Celeste beamed. "Thanks, Shiro-chan!"

"Get _off_ me!"

Mii looked around. Was there aspirin anywhere? She had the feeling she needed the entire bottle.

"Y-yeah. We're leaving," Mii said.

"Mfff! Mrphh!"

"OW!" Mii screamed, yanking her hand off Kuroko's mouth with lightning speed. She sent the younger girl a wounded stare. "You _bit_ me!"

"We haven't questioned the criminal yet!" Kuroko half shouted.

Mii stared at Kuroko as if she had grown another head. Questioned? Criminal? And then she remembered. Celeste Crowley, their main suspect in the case.

She shot a look into the apartment. They had to question _that_ and possibly arrest her?

…

She was going to die.


	9. Chapter 9

ReadingLurking: Mii is probably the only sane character in the series, don't you think? She's quite normal, has nothing to do with magic, has nothing to do with destruction and blood and death and all that, while the others always get involved in the darker matters of Academy City. The only explanation is that it's Academy City and she should be used to it by now...

* * *

"Would you like some tea?" Celeste asked, smiling innocently.

Mii and Kuroko sat on Celeste's couch, occasionally glancing at the newly created door between the apartment they currently sat in and Accelerator. It was _dangerous_ being so near Accelerator. Even Kuroko could sense that, since she stopped talking about guilt and arresting people.

"It's not poisoned, you know," Celeste said after a short silence.

"Oh! I'm sorry. Yes, please," Mii said.

It was better not to antagonize a girl who could handle _Accelerator_. The cups clinked as they made contact with the table, and steaming hot tea sat in front of the two Judgement members.

"Misaka-san and friend… Uiharu-san, was it? You are welcome to come over as well, if you like," Celeste continued, still smiling politely.

Kuroko and Mii froze. How did she…

"You really should tell Misaka-san not to shout at Kuroko when there is an earpiece in during a sneak job," Celeste commented, as if reading their minds. "And she called Uiharu-san's name as well."

"W-we weren't sneaking around," Mii said nervously, attempting a smile.

The raised eyebrow told her she wasn't doing very well, so she dropped the smile and settled for an apologetic expression.

"You're dealing with Accelerator. Of course you're sneaking around," Celeste said. "So what do you want with me?"

Mii hesitated. The girl wasn't stupid. Nowhere near that. Observant, clever, and could handle Accelerator.

She was probably dangerous herself, on top of that. She was a level four who could make people think her illusions were real, after all.

Even if that didn't explain the door that appeared out of nowhere.

"You have heard of the cases of random attacks on espers?" Mii asked, leaning forward slightly.

"Yes. It is on the news quite often," Celeste said. "And?"

"We have questioned an attacker and victim pair. And not only do they not know each other, the attacker also claims to have seen the victim as a giant spider," Mii said.

Celeste picked up her teacup and calmly took a sip. "Interesting."

"What's more, the victims had all been talking about you and Accelerator when they were attacked," Mii continued, carefully observing the blonde.

"And of course, you suspect me," Celeste finished for the high school Judgement member. "After all, I am intimately related to the issue the victims were discussing, and my ability is listed as a level four illusionist."

"Yes. That sums up the matter," Mii said, a little abashed.

She really hoped Kuroko did not open her mouth.

"Of all the times for it to backfire…" Celeste muttered.

Kuroko frowned. " 'It'? Please elaborate."

Celeste sighed, placing her teacup down. "I am not an illusionist. I cannot make someone see a figment of their imagination. That would involve manipulating their personal reality, and I am incapable of that."

"But—"

"But I could physically turn the victim into a giant spider, in which case _everyone_ would see him or her as such, and not just the attacker," Celeste cut in sharply, with a look in her eyes that told the two not to interrupt. "In addition, it would take a ridiculous amount of energy to waste my time like that, when there are simpler ways such as beating the crap out of them. Which, by the way, is simply a waste of time because _everyone_ is gossiping, and I do not particularly care what they say."

"You are an illusionist," Kuroko said, glaring at the older girl. "You cannot deceive this Kuroko with such obvious lies!"

"You can arrest me and keep me in a jail far, far away from Academy City. The attacks will continue, _because I am not the mastermind_ ," Celeste said, the fake smile completely disappearing from her face. "Don't waste your time chasing a false lead."

"You are an illusionist," Kuroko said stubbornly.

Celeste smiled, a cold expression that didn't reach her eyes. Mii shivered, and put a hand on Kuroko's arm, trying to silently tell the girl to shut up.

"If you wouldn't mind losing a limb or two, I could summon a hungry man eating tiger," Celeste said, ice hanging from every word. "Whatever it eats will not regenerate, even after I send it away again."

Mii laughed nervously. "Or I could just try that door."

"Please do."

"Kuroko, go ahead," Mii said.

Kuroko nodded stiffly, still glaring at the blonde.

Mii fully expected Kuroko to walk into a wall, but she walked straight through the door, and Accelerator and Last Order's gazes snapped to the girl.

"This could all be an illusion," Kuroko said.

"True. But it isn't," Celeste said, exasperated.

"I see. We will leave now," Mii said, eyes flicking between an angry Accelerator and an angry Celeste.

She had no idea who was more dangerous.

"We'll be back!" Kuroko shouted over her shoulder as Mii yanked her out of the apartments.

Celeste sighed, and flopped onto her couch.

 _BANG! BANG! BANG!_

She contemplated killing whoever was behind the door.

She slammed the door open. " _What_?"

She was done being polite.

"Hello. I am Ushino Ana, scientist. I came to discuss Accelerator," the old man said, wringing his hands nervously.

"He's next door. Go talk to him," Celeste said, and slammed the door in his face.

 _BANG! BANG! BANG!_

She opened the door. " _WHAT?_ "

"I came to discuss _your_ relationship with Accelerator," Ushino amended.

"And?"

"Please break up with him."

" _WHAT?!"_ Celeste growled, and another voice joined in.

Ushino gulped, seeing Accelerator behind his open apartment door. He was very very close to running away. He wanted his colleagues with him. Why weren't his colleagues with him? They _promised_! They agreed that Accelerator should not be with a mere level four! They _did_!

So why was he the only one facing the two most terrifying people he had ever had the misfortune to meet?

"You see, my esteemed colleagues and I have discussed the matter to great length, and have come to the solution that the most powerful level five, Accelerator, should not have a relationship of the romantic and sexual type with a mere level four," Ushino said, and felt proud of himself when he did not stutter. His voice only quavered twice, too.

"Today isn't my day," Celeste muttered.

"Your fault for letting them make their stupid mistake, kusotare," Accelerator growled.

"True," Celeste nodded. Then she turned to Ushino. "What makes you think I am a level four?"

"Erm… T-tests?" Ushino asked.

"From how many years ago?"

"Many many years," Ushino said, feeling cold sweat start to soak his shirt.

"Well, I will inform you that I am a level five, and my ability is Reality Warp, and _not_ Real Illusion, understood?" Celeste asked, very kindly.

"As if he'll believe that," Accelerator scoffed.

"You never know. They could always test me again," Celeste shrugged.

"Tch. Kusotare," and Accelerator retreated back into his apartment.

"What level are you and your so called esteemed colleagues?" Celeste turned her sweet smile back to the scientist.

"Eep!" Ushino let out a very unbecoming squeak. "Zero?"

Celeste smiled benevolently. He wanted to crawl under a rock and never come out.

"How wonderful. Level zero. A rather nice number, don't you think?" Celeste asked.

He had no idea how to answer. Agreeing with the scary girl seemed like the best idea. Yes. Just agree with the scary girl. "Y-yes?"

"I think so too. But there is a problem, you see."

"P-problem?" Was there a giant rock anywhere?

"A _mere_ level four could _easily_ crush a level zero," Celeste said, the smile still on her face. Her eyes, on the other hand, spat poison. "So level zeroes, the wonderful numbers they are, should try to avoid angering a _mere_ level four, shouldn't they?"

"Y-yes. O-of course!" Ushino said, nodding quickly.

"Good! Problem solved. Have a nice day!" Celeste said with a bright smile, and slammed the door.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Now that my story plot has joined with the light novels, I'm feeling like I just fell into a metaphorical ditch lined with sharp thorny vines. The light novels are so confusing, and so complicated. For those of you who haven't read the light novels, like me, SPOILER WARNING. 

And as for the people who have read the light novels, I will say once again that I am using the wiki to follow the plot. Please forgive any of my discrepancies. I will blame everything on 'writer's freedom' and the attempt to keep you from being bored by a story that sticks close to the canon. I find that I really don't like those types of stories. There's no point in writing a story just to follow exactly what the canon does.

... And I'll stop ranting. Enjoy!

* * *

Celeste blinked. "You were still with GROUP?"

Accelerator scowled. He should have known she would know about GROUP. She seemed to know everything that happened in Academy City, and he didn't need three guesses to know why.

And if he knew Celeste, she would probably ask to…

"Can I come?"

He _knew_ it.

" _No_ ," Accelerator growled.

GROUP was a _secret_ organization in Academy City. Normal people should not know about it, even if Celeste could not count as a 'normal' person. But even if _he_ knew it, the rest of Academy City didn't, and Accelerator doubted that Aleister Crowley dealt with small matters like a rebellion doomed to fail.

No, Aleister Crowley played the entire city like a chessboard. He left the small matters to his pawns.

Besides, this was an extermination mission. He didn't need her seeing him laughing and having fun while he killed people. Again.

She pouted.

" _No_ ," Accelerator repeated, glaring at her.

He had left Last Order with Yomikawa and Yoshikawa for this reason. The child would annoy him before he left, and annoy him more when he came back drenched in blood. If only he could do the same with Celeste…

And then her phone rang.

"Hello?"

Accelerator watched with mild interest as her face went from a pout to blank disinterest to wide-eyed surprise, and then to a furious scowl. Then she brought the phone down from her ear and stared at it in disbelief. Accelerator could hear the faint dial tone.

Celeste groaned loudly as she smashed her cellphone into the floor.

Then she promptly picked it back up and gently checked to see if it was alright, since it had done nothing wrong. No, the cause of her irritation was the other side of the line.

"Sorry," she murmured to the phone, cradling it for a moment before placing it on the table.

Thankfully, it was an inanimate object. Otherwise it would have refused to forgive her and refused to work for her any longer. It _hurt_ to be thrown into the floor with the force of all the girl's strength plus gravity.

"I'm leaving," Accelerator said, feeling a little put off by the eccentric display of someone talking to their phone.

Then he shook his head and corrected himself. It was _Celeste_. Things like this were normal. He looked over at her, and immediately regretted it.

She sent him puppy eyes. He turned away quickly before they could fully affect him. Those eyes were _dangerous_.

A hand grabbed his sleeve, forcing him to turn.

Oh, kami. She added a _pout_ on top of the puppy eyes. Accelerator groaned, slapping his forehead.

"I'm leaving," he repeated firmly, keeping his eyes closed. And for good measure, added, "Kusotare."

Celeste sighed woefully and landed a small kiss on his lips before releasing him.

"Good luck," she said, her tone dejected.

Accelerator blinked, raising an eyebrow at her, but she was back on the sofa, hunched over in an image of misery. He refrained from asking what the hell was wrong, and quickly left before she started affecting _his_ mood.

In hindsight, once he got onto the streets, he realized he left a little too late. He already felt like turning back and patting her on the head or whatever boyfriends were supposed to do when their partner was depressed.

Therefore he hurried on. He needed to _kill_ something and improve his mood.

In the apartment, however, Celeste sighed. Of all the things she needed to prove her innocence, she was under _house arrest_. It was the most Judgement could do, since only Anti-Skill had the authority to formally arrest someone.

On the bright side, she didn't have to wear one of those bracelets that tracked her movements to make sure she stayed at home.

 _Ding dong_.

Or not.

Celeste reluctantly opened the door, and of course, Mii was on the other side, along with Kuroko and Misaka. Celeste's brow furrowed, her head tilting to one side. Why did so many people have to come?

But when the three tensed at the small, harmless movement, she realized with a sigh that they were there to restrain her if she decided to go berserk. Celeste felt slightly offended. She wasn't Accelerator. She had no grudge against these three, even if they were locking her in her own house. They were just doing their jobs.

Of course, she had to repeat those lines to herself to keep from either disappearing, or preferably, mauling them.

"Come in. Forgive me if I do not offer you tea, when you are impolite enough to chain me down like some house pet," Celeste drawled.

"I'm sorry. But you are still our main suspect," Mii said, a small apologetic smile on her face.

She gestured to Celeste's wrist in a silent question of 'May I?' Celeste stood still, arms crossed over her chest, an eyebrow raised. Kuroko started growling. Celeste smirked. Misaka and Kuroko tensed, ready to lunge at the girl.

And simply because they were so tense, Celeste turned her back and walked calmly to the kitchen to get a glass of water.

The trio stared at her retreating back in disbelief.

"Crowley-san, I'm sorry, but you need to put this on," Mii said, rather politely in spite of her exasperation.

Why had she applied for this job? She definitely couldn't remember now. She just wanted to find whoever had said helping society would feel nice, and pound their faces in a few times.

Oh, Musashino milk. She was starting to think like Misaka.

She really hoped the screws in her head hadn't loosened since she started getting involved with Titania and Accelerator's business. She _liked_ being sane, no matter how much fun Kuroko and Saten made being insane seem.

"Hm. I suppose you do," Celeste said.

She still didn't offer her wrist. Electricity crackled.

"Not a good idea to attack me, Misaka Mikoto," Celeste said, not even looking at the level five, and dropping the honorifics.

"If you give her your hand, I won't," Misaka growled, electricity sparking over her skin.

"I like having two hands. And I do believe giving someone a severed hand is quite creepy," Celeste smirked.

The voltage visibly increased, flashes of lightning licking out at Celeste. Her smirk fell, morphing into a dispassionate stare. Misaka glared back, unwilling to give in, no matter how unnerving the stare was.

"Misaka Mikoto and Shirai Kuroko are in Tokiwadai," Celeste said, voice completely devoid of emotion.

"Huh? Of course we are students—" Misaka's voice cut off.

Mii stared in fright at the empty space. That was no illusion. That was _definitely_ no illusion. Mii's phone rang, and she jumped. She glanced up at Celeste, but the girl had turned away.

"Hello?" Mii cursed herself for letting her voice quaver.

"Mii-senpai? Where…?" Misaka's voice shouted.

"So you're really at Tokiwadai?" Mii asked, glancing at Celeste again.

"Y-yeah. So it's not an illusion?" Misaka asked.

"No. It isn't," Mii concluded quietly, and hung up.

She looked back at Celeste and jumped again. The girl's pale eyes were trained on her, and a smirk sat on her lips. She was frightening. And suddenly Mii understood how the seemingly sweet and cheerful girl could date someone like Accelerator.

"Well? Give it here," Celeste said, hand held out with her palm facing up.

Mii stared blankly at her for a second, before she realized the other girl was talking about the bracelet. She dropped it in the open palm and snatched her hand back with lightning speeds.

Celeste clipped it on and held it up. "There. Done. Anything else?"

"N-no. Have a nice day," Mii said, and quickly left, slamming the door behind her.

She stopped outside, gripping the railing until her hands turned pale and bloodless, simply trying to _breathe_. She felt a bead of cold sweat drip down her temple.

Mii hoped, for the sake of her sanity and safety, that Celeste was not guilty.


	11. Chapter 11

"Hurry up!" A male yelled, panic lacing his voice.

They were losing, quickly and _badly_. What had gone wrong? They had their revolt planned perfectly. They had their distraction in Academy City to turn attention away from their rebellion. They had their bargaining chips—children, meaning the higher ups could not ignore them—and they had their base, the Hula Hoop. They had espers analyzed perfectly, and they understood perfectly that espers were humans too.

So _what the hell was that_?!

As the screams of terror and agony reached the ears of the back lines of Spark Signal, they realized one simple fact they had overlooked. One simple fact that they had not taken into consideration. One simple fact that was destroying them, and ruining everything.

 _Accelerator was not a human_.

He was a monster.

Therefore he did _not_ have the 'human weakness' they planned to take advantage of.

Maniacal laughter grew closer. Hearts beat faster. But there was no escape.

And when the grinning boy finally appeared before the last few members of the main group, they could only note with faint detachment that, even after killing almost all their members in cold blood, ruthlessly and shockingly efficiently, the boy did not have a single speck of red on him.

Then they thought no more.

The massacre took exactly three hundred seconds.

While Accelerator was having his fun, Celeste moped in her apartment, twirling her hair around her finger.

It had been a while since she changed the color. Maybe she should dye her ends blue next…

" _Can't you see? It is my solitude. Itami dake ga shinjitsu naraba… Can't you see? It is my solitude. Kodoku dake wa tebanasanai sa… Sukuwarenai… Tamashii nara…_ "

"I always did want to ask how you have a phone when you're living in a tube," Celeste said, as her way of answering the phone.

"Very good question. Let's leave it as another mystery of Aleister Crowley," Aleister said, sounding mildly amused.

"And? You called me because…?"

"You haven't come visit in such a long time that I had to call you," Aleister's voice said almost sullenly. Aleister did not do sullen. "I thought you may have forgotten your dear ancestor."

"Go bother someone else, onii-chan," Celeste sighed, closing her eyes and letting her head fall back onto the couch.

"But you're the only one who actually talks to me." She could practically hear Aleister pout on the other end, if the man actually pouted.

"Your fault for antagonizing all magicians and Heaven Canceller."

"Cel…"

"Onii-chan…" Celeste mimicked.

"Come over."

"I'm under house arrest."

Silence fell on the other end. The reaction was the closest to surprise Aleister would ever get. He frowned. House arrest? His Cel? Why?

"Why?" He repeated his thought out loud.

"I'm accused of causing random espers to attack random espers via illusions," Celeste said, mildly annoyed.

"Oh."

"Yes. Oh," Celeste huffed.

"That is ridiculous. Why would you do something so unintelligent? If you were the mastermind, they would never find out it was you," Aleister said. "You _did_ inherit my genes, after all."

"Hmm. I know that, you know that, but they don't," Celeste mused. "And I think I scared a few years off the lifespan of a few people. I suppose you wouldn't mind."

"Not at all. Good work," Aleister said smoothly.

Celeste laughed. Aleister annoyed the crap out of her a lot of the time, but he was pretty good at cheering her up too. Even if he didn't mean to. Rather, especially because he didn't mean to. She doubted that Aleister would be very good at lifting peoples' spirits if he tried to do so purposely.

"Well, I suppose you should find the criminal," Aleister continued.

Celeste blinked, lifting the phone from her ear to stare strangely at it, before replacing it in the proper position. "I'm under _house arrest_. How am I supposed to find a criminal like this?"

"Cel," Aleister tsked. "You know very well that I know you can _easily_ get out without anybody knowing. You don't even need a distraction. And do I really need to give you a hint regarding the mastermind?"

"Hm," a wicked smile formed on the girl's lips. "That was a pretty good hint. Alright then. I'll blame you if I get caught. _The bracelet is no longer on my wrist_. See you soon, onii-chan."

Celeste pocketed her phone and tossed the tracker bracelet up and down a few times. Too easy. It was times like this that she was glad she wasn't an illusionist, because otherwise she would really have been stuck at home.

Jeez. 'You don't even need a distraction,' was it? If she hadn't inherited Aleister's genes, and if she didn't know him so well, the line would have flown straight over her head.

With a giggle that could have gotten her thrown into a mental asylum, Celeste uttered a single line, and vanished.

Her sudden appearance out of thin air shocked a girl into firing a gun straight at her. The deranged grin still on her face, she sidestepped the bullet, taking slow, swaying steps towards the group.

" _Checkmate_ ," Celeste purred, eyes half closing in an expression of a cat that got its owner's pet canary and watched as the dog got blamed for it.

"D-don't come any closer!" The girl that had fired screamed, gun pointed at the blonde.

"You know, you would be a lot more threatening if the gun wasn't shaking, and if you didn't look and sound like you're about to cry," Celeste said conversationally.

The disturbing smile on her face offset the effects of her friendly tone.

The terrified girl's finger inadvertently tightened on the trigger, sending a bullet ricocheting towards the blonde. She simply stepped to the side once again, and raised an eyebrow. Two steps forward, and she reached down and lifted the gun from the girl's hand. She let go easily.

"There," Celeste cooed, using the tone of a mother gently reproaching their child. "You shouldn't be carrying around such a dangerous weapon, alright? Good girl."

Celeste spun the gun around so her finger was on the trigger, the barrel pointed at the group. She smirked, cocking her head as she examined the ragtag bunch of survivors.

For a secret organization from the dark side of Academy City, they seemed like nothing more than frightened children.

"Now, before GROUP arrives… Which one of you caused the random attacks in Academy City?"

There was no reply. Only the sounds of the girl sobbing reached her ears, the others shifting uneasily as they tried to glare menacingly at her.

Celeste smiled, and shot a single bullet into the air.

The group jumped, a look of terror passing through their expressions.

"You caused me a lot of trouble, you know. I was accused of the crime, and now I am supposed to be under house arrest. I suggest whoever did it to own up and let me take you to Judgement and Anti-Skill."

Still, nobody spoke.

Celeste sighed. "Your other option is for me to call Accelerator. I'm sure he would enjoy… _playing_ with you."

"I-if… If we tell you, will you let us go?" A boy demanded.

Ceeleste eyed him for a moment, then shrugged. "Why not. It isn't my job to deal with you. I have nothing to do with GROUP or your rebellion, and I'm not a fan of the Academy City leaders. Except one, of course, but he doesn't care much about what you do, so…"

"I did," another boy said, jutting his chin into the air in a picture of arrogance.

" _Tell the truth_ ," Celeste commanded, using her ability.

And then she nearly groaned. She should keep her mouth shut for the next twenty four hours. Otherwise she would go spewing out things she shouldn't. Honesty wasn't always a good thing, especially when she was suddenly completely incapable of lying.

"I did," the boy repeated. "I am Kawasaki Haru, a level four telepath. I can project images onto people. I made them see what they feared most when they heard someone talk about Accelerator and his girlfriend, so they would attack."

And he proceeded to look shocked that he had told the absolute truth, leaving no omissions.

Celeste grinned. "Good. Thank you very much. _Kawasaki Haru and I are at Judgement branch 177 headquarters_."

* * *

A/N: Aleister doesn't have an image song, so I used a Seki Toshihiko (Aleister's seiyuu) song. It is one of Sanzo's songs from Gensoumaden Saiyuki Requiem, titled "Solitude".


	12. Chapter 12

Accelerator stared in disbelief at the five corpses lying prone on the floor littered practically like trash, blood pooling under them. They were dead. They were _dead_. And his attention turned up towards the man who had killed them.

"What the hell?! Kusotare!" Accelerator snarled. "What the hell was that for, baldie?!"

He had been _this_ close to finding out what he wanted to know. What GROUP wanted to know. _This_ _close_!

And that _bastard_ just waltzed in and killed off their information source.

Therefore, it wouldn't be wrong to say Accelerator was downright furious.

GROUP _needed_ the information on DRAGON for their own rebellion, and Spark Signal had conveniently gotten the information for them. All they had to do was kill a few, torture a few, and get the information.

They had thought it was ironic that the directors of Academy City had sent GROUP, a bunch of people planning to rebel against the higher ups and the City, to bring down Spark Signal, a bunch of people who were _already_ carrying out a rebellion of their own. But it was a stroke of luck that they didn't question, a lucky break they were fully prepared to take advantage of.

And then this piece of shit came in and ruined everything.

In hindsight, GROUP should probably have taken a few prisoner instead of massacring everyone in the main body of Spark Signal, but they had all been fighting, and made it a little difficult. Not to mention that Accelerator always went a little bat shit crazy when he started on his killing spree.

But in their defense, they thought the remaining members that they had defeated would be enough to provide the required information. They had left _six_ people. Six. From experience, they knew that at least one of them would talk, and keeping too many people alive was a hassle.

Who would have known _this_ asshole son of a bitch would kill all their prey?

Accelerator cursed the man in his mind.

Then for good measure he repeated his thoughts out loud.

Thank goodness Celeste wasn't there to witness this disgusting _failure_. Accelerator was pretty sure the whiff of carnations and gunpowder in the air was just a figment of his imagination. There was no way Celeste had been there, especially not before even _he_ managed to chase down Spark Signal's escaped members.

Not to mention that he had never seen her wield a gun.

He shook the image of her out of his head, narrowing his eyes at the intruder.

"You don't want to attack me," the man finally said.

"Heh. Yeah I do," Accelerator smirked.

"No. I am Sugitani, Director Shiokishi's bodyguard," the man said, his stare boring holes into Accelerator. "And if you do not want to regret it, you will stay out of Shiokishi-sama's business."

Accelerator tensed, scowling.

"You wouldn't want the people you care about to get _hurt_ , would you?" Sugitani added.

Accelerator's teeth clenched, his fists bunching at his sides. Was the idiot _threatening_ him? Threatening Last Order and Celeste?

He should learn that Accelerator did _not_ accept threats on the people he cared about.

In the meantime, Celeste stood in the Judgement office, smirking at the girls, Kawasaki in tow.

"Wha—How…?" Kuroko stuttered, eyes wide.

"I did tell you my ability was Reality Warp," Celeste said. "I simply used my ability to take off the tracker bracelet. And since I did not want to be falsely accused, I went ahead and found you your criminal."

Alright, so staying silent wasn't an option. Celeste pursed her lips in irritation. If she had known that she would be forced to answer questions, and _truthfully_ , for that matter, she wouldn't have used her ability on Kawasaki.

Sometimes she thought it would have been better if she didn't have this ability. The Law of Equivalent Exchange was so annoying. Magic was so much easier, even if it meant memorizing hundreds or thousands of spells and rituals.

Then again, if she was to be an esper, being able to warp reality was preferable to other abilities, as it allowed her to use magic for brief moments without the consequences other espers would face when the two supernatural worlds collided.

At the very least, it meant the knowledge Aleister had forcefully crammed into her head about magic hadn't gone to waste.

It also meant she could see her childhood friend and Aleister's familiar, Dignitas, once in a while. The cat spirit had disappeared the moment she gained her ability. She had cried for days, until Aleister told her to use her ability to make it possible for her to use magic.

She tried, of course. But after experiencing extreme pain when she attempted to change the natural laws so she could permanently use both ESP and magic, she discovered that, no, the natural laws will not allow such an anomaly to exist. However, she could use magic, but only for brief moments of time, and it took a lot of energy out of her. In those moments, and only those moments, she could see Dignitas again.

Ironic, really, that the magic name that Aleister should have used was given to his cat familiar, and he himself took up the name Beast666.

"You are…?" Mii asked, raising her eyebrow at the boy.

By now she knew better than to question Celeste. It was safer for her sanity to stay as far from the girl as possible.

"Kawasaki Haru, level four telepath," the boy immediately said.

"And are you the one who caused espers to attack each other all over Academy City?"

"Yes. It was a part of the diversion to keep attention away from us," he said, then cursed. "Damn it! It's your fault! Why can't I lie?!"

"Who is—" Mii began.

"You shouldn't ask who 'us' is. It is classified information in Academy City, and it is to your best interest that you do not find out," Celeste quickly cut in.

Kawasaki sent her a grateful glance, then remembered that she was the cause of all this trouble, so he glared at her.

"Now that you have your criminal mastermind, may I leave?" Celeste inquired, a brow raised.

"No! You could be lying! Deceiving us!" Kuroko snapped.

Celeste turned to Kuroko, eyes blank. Thank goodness the girl didn't phrase anything as a question, or she would have been forced to answer. She hadn't ordered Kawasaki to be polite. Just honest. Therefore she could have honestly been rude when answering Kuroko.

And she felt very much like being very rude to the girl right about then.

Celeste knew Kuroko was just doing her job. And she was pretty sure the ever suspicious girl was probably quite good at being a Judgement member too, in spite of her creepy stalker behaviour when it came to Misaka Mikoto.

But that didn't help her like Kuroko any better. The girl just rubbed her in all the wrong ways.

Actually, erase that image. It was highly disturbing to think of Shirai Kuroko rubbing her body, or even touching her at all. She shuddered to think what Misaka Mikoto had to go through, and found a new level of respect for Railgun.

… Had Celeste ever been this creepy to Accelerator…?

Mii sighed, rubbing her temples. "Yes. Go ahead. And please return the tracking bracelet, if you haven't destroyed it."

" _It is on your desk_ ," Celeste said.

Mii spun on her heel, surprised, and stared blankly at the object sitting innocently on her desk as if it had never been moved. She turned back to Celeste, but the girl was already out the door and on her way home.


	13. Chapter 13

When she heard Accelerator's key rasp against the lock, and the rattling sound as he fiddled with it to unlock his door, she stuck her head out of the apartment, and grinned.

"Welcome home, Shiro-chan," Celeste said warmly.

He blinked at her. Their moods were completely switched. When he had left he felt rather good about the day, since there would be a bloodbath and information that would help them rebel against Academy City, and she looked depressed. Now? He was in a terrible mood because their information source _had been killed_ , and she was in a good mood.

"What happened to you?" He snapped.

"I got out of house arrest, captured the Spark Signal member who was the mastermind behind the random attacks, and have just received a call telling me I'm free to go because I've been proven innocent," Celeste said automatically.

Then she made a face and cursed.

"And I used my ability on him to make him tell the truth so I'm stuck telling the truth for the next… twenty two hours five minutes three seconds," she said glumly.

"Tch. Then don't talk."

"Hm."

A silence fell as they stood in the hallway between their rooms. And then Accelerator found it stupid to stand outside when they could very well be inside, so he walked into his apartment and slammed the door behind him. Celeste turned to do the same, but the hesitant footsteps she had thought belonged to another person who lived their stopped behind her. She turned, the smile on her face melting into a scowl when she saw the familiar face.

"You again," she said. "What was your name again? Dr. Asshole or something?"

"Ushino Ana," the man said, a droplet of sweat dripping down his forehead.

He remembered clearly their last meeting, and dreaded having to come to the girl again.

He also cursed his parents for the millionth time for giving him a name meaning 'cow's hole'… And as if it wasn't bad enough to be named after a cow's posterior end, 'Ana' sounded like a girl's name. Needless to say, he lived his entire life being teased and mocked and bullied, just because of his name.

But he digressed.

"Erm… You _are_ the Celeste Crowley Judgement called about, aren't you?" Ushino asked timidly, hoping the answer was a resounding 'no'.

No such luck.

"Yes. Do you think there would be anyone else with that name?" She said snappily.

"I'm sorry…" Ushino said, shifting his weight. "But they asked us to retest your ability. They said something about us making a mistake years ago. Which I highly doubt. Scientists do not make mistakes about such important matters, I swear. If we did, it is an anomaly."

"Or laziness," Celeste said pleasantly.

"Y-yes. Or that," Ushino deflated further, looking very much like he wanted to be anywhere else.

Oh, why did _he_ have to be the one who came? The girl's friendliness dripped poison. It was even worse than when she was being mean! At least he knew how to deal with cruelty, even from children three to four times younger than himself.

"So if you don't mind, will you come with me?" He asked, hoping she won't detach his head from his shoulders. He quite liked his head where it was.

Accelerator's door opened, and a head of white poked out. "Want me to kill him?"

"No!" Ushino shouted, horrified.

"I can do it myself, thanks," Celeste grinned brightly at Accelerator before turning back to Ushino, smile once again fading. "Let's go."

The scientist was surprised that he managed to lead the girl all the way back to the esper testing lab, when his legs felt like jello. In fact, the moment she disappeared into the room, his legs collapsed, unable to hold his weight any longer, and he sat in the halls for quite some time before his heart calmed down and he could get up and leave.

"Right, Miss Crowley," one examiner said snobbishly, pushing his glasses further up his nose. "Judgement said you claim to be a level five Reality Warp, correct?"

"Not 'claim'," Celeste said. " 'Am'."

"Then please prove it," the woman said.

She stared at them, completely irritated. " _The tiger from the Academy City zoo is right here_."

Moving things around in reality was easy. Moving people, obtaining items that already existed… They barely required any energy, and needed no other compensation. Tell something to disappear, and it would leave her sight and appear somewhere else. Tell something to appear, and it would disappear from somewhere and appear where she wanted it to.

Completely different from toying with existence and life and death and healing. Those took a lot of energy and required an equivalent price as exchange.

She never dared to create something that never existed in the world, nor did she ever dare tell something to stop existing. The price would be high. Very high. The unicorn she had called years ago had existed in the past, and she probably just altered the genes of a horse.

She never brought someone back to life or killed anyone with her ability. The former required a living sacrifice, and the latter… She had no idea. She had done it once, and fainted immediately. When she woke, she couldn't use her ability for days. She probably revived someone in exchange for the death. She did _not_ want to know what kind of incomplete zombie she could have brought back, considering that she didn't actually will for the person to revive.

And healing… Well, the price depended on the severity of the injury and how much the healing was worth to both parties. Healing herself only took energy. Technically she could even make someone immortal or regain their youth. But then someone, or some people, would have to age faster, or an immortal or two would die.

Although killing people with her ability required a lot of energy and a high price, summoning something to kill people was very different.

She hoped the tiger would eat them.

But no. It sat there, licking its paw, looking strangely at ease for an animal that had suddenly disappeared from its comfortable enclosure and appeared in a foreign environment.

"That doesn't prove anything," the man with glasses said, sounding annoyed.

He had no right to. _She_ was the one who had gone through a shitload of trouble that day. All he had done was sit around drinking coffee and reading reports.

"Then what do you want?" Celeste said through gritted teeth.

He ignored her, instead nodding to the third person on the judgement panel. "Do it."

Celeste's eyes widened. A loud, high pitched ringing sound, something more like a screeching siren than an alarm clock, rang through the room. She screamed, the sound going unheard. Clapping her hands to her ears, she fell to the ground, fingers digging into her scalp, blinking back the tears of pain.

" _The sound stops_!" She shouted, but to no avail. It continued.

The tiger growled, the sound irritating its ears, and stalked forward. Now she _really_ hoped it would eat them.

 _"_ _The source of the sound explodes!_ " Celeste managed to say.

Thank goodness the tiger was prowling past her and heard, and that the machine itself did not hinder ESP, just the sound it made. It exploded, leaving blessed silence.

"Our Capacity Down…" the woman gasped.

Celeste was furious. Clenching her teeth and fist, she got to her feet, stalking towards the three along with the tiger. It must have smelled her rage and killing intent, even higher than its own, because it didn't even think about attacking her. The two predators only focused on maiming the three scientists.

"Very good. As the tiger did not disappear, we conclude that you are what you claimed. The data will be corrected immediately," glasses said, sounding utterly calm.

And then he looked up at the murderous expressions and faltered.

"Erm… Miss Crowley?" The man said, suddenly feeling his mouth dry.

" _I am at home_ ," Celeste ground out.

And she left them to deal with the outraged tiger themselves.


	14. Chapter 14

Tsuchimikado Motoharu was glaring at the television screen when his cell phone rang. He proceeded to ignore it, of course. The caption on the news was much more important. No, more so than that, it was broadcasted worldwide.

It meant trouble.

The _idiots_ in the scientific world had no clue how important Aleister Crowley was, did they. The magic world had been hunting him since the man was _alive_ , and continued even when he supposedly died. That had to say something, didn't it? It wasn't like Academy City had no clue who Crowley was. Perhaps the small fries didn't, but the very top, like the twelve directors and Aleister Crowley himself, should know exactly why the name shouldn't be, oh, say _paraded in front of the world_.

Yet, the words 'New Level Five in Academy City: Celeste 'Titania' Crowley, user of Reality Warp' was plastered everywhere in Academy City. Tsuchimikado had no doubt, that like with Accelerator and Railgun and one or two of the others, the name was everywhere outside of Academy City as well.

Which meant the Church would catch on soon.

The cell phone that had fallen silent began ringing again, the sound insistent and obnoxious. For a moment Tsuchimikado directed an annoyed thought towards whoever the cell phone belonged to, hoping they would just pick up the call or turn the phone off so the noise would shut up.

Then he realized that he was at home, and the phone belonged to himself.

"Hello?"

" _What the hell_?!" Stiyl Magnus' voice snarled loudly from the other side.

"Nice to talk to you too. Been a while. How are you doing, Stiyl?" Tsuchimikado quipped sarcastically.

A wordless growl came from the fire using fourteen year old.

"Gimme that," a female voice said. "Hello?"

"Hi, Kanzaki."

Behind Kanzaki Kaori's voice was Stiyl's cursing, the teenager not even bothering to keep his voice down as he stormed around, venting his rage. Tsuchimikado understood. He wanted to curse and destroy things too. They had done so much to keep Academy City safe, or more precisely, Index safe. And just when one thing was over, another began.

With this, there was no doubt that the entire magic world would be at the doors of Academy City, waiting to attack. No Crowley would be allowed to live. The Church would attack Academy City and wipe out all science, using Celeste Crowley as a pretext. Tsuchimikado wondered if that Celeste Crowley knew anything about her name, and whether she knew how _stupid_ letting scientists broadcast her name was.

She probably had no choice. Tsuchimikado didn't want to think a Crowley was that stupid. Unless, of course, she _wasn't_ a real Crowley, and just took the name because it sounded 'cool'.

He was going to _slaughter_ her if that was the case, and then present her body to the Church, doing his work as a spy for the magic side by eliminating a threat, while doing his work as a spy for Academy City by protecting it from the Church.

"What in the world is going on?" Kanzaki asked, voice tight.

"A girl named Celeste Crowley is a new level five, and her ability is apparently reality warping," Tsuchimikado said lightly, tone deceptive.

" _That's not the point_!" Stiyl shouted.

Was their side on loudspeakers?

"I _don't know_ ," Tsuchimikado growled, surprising the two magicians. "I'm going to find out."

"Did Aleister say anything?" Stiyl asked, forcing his voice to sound calm.

Tsuchimikado tensed. Was he supposed to say that in front of Kanzaki…? Then again, Kanzaki was unlikely to say anything. Not unless Aleister posed a direct threat towards Index.

"No. I'm going to ask him, though. _Right after I find the stupid girl_ ," Tsuchimikado hissed through clenched teeth.

"Do you think… She could be a fake?" Kanzaki asked, hesitant.

"If she is, I've planned to kill her," Tsuchimikado vowed.

* * *

So the fools survived, Celeste mused as she watched the news caption flash across the television. She just hoped the tiger survived too.

It was a nice tiger.

Celeste shut off the television with a small sigh and lay back. She had never been _invisible_ , per se. Her unusual ability had earned her the epithet of 'Titania' after all, and usually only level fives had epithets. So if you consider things that way, was she an honorary level five before? Well, not any more.

Interesting, she mused, that after disappearing off the face of the Earth for three years, that she would come back to instant, widespread fame. First was the Accelerator thing, which basically shocked Academy City into putting it onto every media available. And now? A new level five in Academy City.

It was pretty nice to see her at rank two, even if the ranks scientists put on them was not so much related to strength as it was to whether the scientists could 'experiment' on them.

Hah. As if Aleister would ever allow that. No. As if she herself would ever allow that. Nobody would ever touch Accelerator again either, not if she could help it.

Well, nobody but Aleister, and Aleister manipulated everyone.

 _Aleister_.

Her fists clenched, and she let out a wordless scream of fury, finally letting out the pent up emotions that had been broiling in her since she saw the news. _Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, **STUPID**_.

Something thunked, the sound muffled by the wall, and the door between her apartment and Accelerator's burst open, the white haired boy practically falling in, his expression filled with shock. By his legs, Last Order peeked out. Accelerator never expected to see a threat, since there were no sounds other than that scream, and he didn't. But he had never seen her get angry enough to have to just _shout_ to get rid of some overflowing emotions.

She ignored him, for the first time since they met. Her mind focused on the news.

Now Aleister would be targeted. Just what she had always tried to prevent. She had killed her entire _clan_ to prevent it, for heaven's sake! No. She wouldn't allow that. Celeste shot to her feet, lips pressed into a thin line. The magic side could attack her. She would pretend she didn't know anything about Aleister, that he didn't exist.

And she would proceed to wipe them out, one by one. She would destroy every Church, every magic organization against Aleister, and force the rest to swear fealty with a magic oath. Then nothing would be left to get in his way. Because that was her duty as his heir, as his 'sister'.

Eyes hard, she stalked towards the door, only for a warm body to grip her shoulders, dragging her into a lock. She blinked twice as she realized she was no longer moving, and glanced up, raising an eyebrow at Accelerator. One arm pressed against her belly and the other across her throat, forcing her to remain still, caged against the boy's body.

"What the hell was that?" Accelerator demanded.

"Nothing."

Accelerator growled. "The look on your face says you're going to disappear again."

"Only for a while. I'll be back."

"After slaughtering all of Crowley's enemies?" Accelerator barked a short laugh. "Don't be stupid."

"Then _what else am I supposed to do?!_ " Celeste screamed, and Accelerator was surprised to feel her body shaking. "This is _my_ fault!"

Last Order remained silent, a little wary of a situation she knew nothing about. She shifted, and Accelerator shot her a warning look, red orbs flashing. Last Order nodded and retreated silently back into his apartment.

Accelerator growled again, biting the girl's neck, shocking her into silence, her body stiffening. But then he could feel her begin to relax against him, and he could practically sense the thoughts of leaving, of murdering everyone drain out of her mind. They would deal with anything that came. Just like always.

"The same thing as last time," Accelerator murmured. " _We_ will destroy everything that comes after him."

And I will kill anything, anyone who wants to hurt you, he didn't add.


	15. Chapter 15

He involuntarily let out a scream of pain, internally cursing himself for his weakness. He was the strongest level five. Celeste had even healed him, restoring his status even if none of the twelve directors knew. He suspected that Aleister knew, but Aleister didn't really matter. He would have used Accelerator either way, so it was better that he had been healed.

Yet he could do nothing against this… this _monster_.

Pathetic.

Accelerator groaned. Pain filled his body, flaring up even more every time he moved. But he did move. He had to move. Aiwass was the reason why Last Order was suffering. Even Accelerator's Black Wing, the power that so easily defeated Kirihara, was deflected so easily by the AIM entity.

Accelerator glared up at the creature, and his eyes caught sight of the cane. It was something Heaven Canceller had given him, along with the choker, to use his ability when he hadn't been healed yet. And just like Celeste told him to, he pretended that he hadn't been healed, and continued carrying the objects around, no matter how annoying that was.

And now he was almost thankful for it.

His hand reached out, shaking, struggling to grab the cane. When his fingers connected, he felt a sense of triumph. He blocked off the Misaka Network. Aiwass didn't even look surprised as he began to disintegrate. Accelerator's look was pure poison as he pulled out a gun and pulled the trigger.

Aiwass didn't move. He allowed the bullet to pierce the core in his head. Something like that wouldn't kill him. It wouldn't even harm him. But the small action took the rest of Accelerator's energy, and the boy lay in a small puddle of his blood, no longer able to move. He had exhausted himself, and the injury only drained the boy's energy just like the blood drained out of the body. Aiwass had to commend the boy for having shot him. Normal people wouldn't have been able to do that; the pain would have paralyzed them.

Yet Accelerator continued to struggle, hands and knees slipping in the blood as he tried to rise, even though it only made the pain spike, even though his muscles refused to obey his commands. The boy cursed, fury rising. Fury at Aiwass, at Aleister, at himself, at everything.

"You did quite well, for a human. In fact, if you were at the same level as Fuse=KAZAKIRI, you could have defeated me," Aiwass said, and Accelerator watched, astonished, as an angel's halo appeared above its head. "Hmm. It seems I can transform."

Aiwass' eyes focused on the white haired boy lying motionless on the ground, staring up at him. And he knocked Accelerator unconscious.

* * *

When Aiwass reappeared, he noted with mild interest that the girl didn't seem shocked, or even surprised. She merely raised an eyebrow.

Aiwass copied the motion. "I was supposed to appear before Aleister Crowley…"

"Close enough, don't you think?" Celeste asked.

Aiwass cocked his head. "I suppose."

He could see Aleister Crowley's signature on the girl. One glance, and Aiwass could tell the two were related, even though it was strange that someone so many generations apart from her ancestor could be so alike the man. In fact, she was eerily like him, so much so that he had almost mistaken her for the magician. That was the reason why he had visited her.

For a moment, he contemplated killing her. She was too similar to Aleister Crowley. Personality, looks, aura… If she were a man, and five or six years older, she could be his twin.

If she was allowed to grow older, to truly become Aleister's heir, she would also be able to sacrifice _everything_ for her goals. Just like Aleister did.

"You smell like Shi—Accelerator. And blood," the girl said mildly, brows furrowed. "Do I have to kill you?"

Or perhaps she was already prepared to sacrifice everything.

"The boy is alive," Aiwass said, and noted that she calmed down immediately. "He is one of Aleister's pawns, as are you."

"Yes."

Aiwass blinked once. She accepted it so easily that he knew she knew about it, and had known about it for a long time. And she was so at ease with the idea that he found himself thinking that she had never been opposed to the idea. She fully expected to be Aleister's pawn.

"You are willing to follow his whims? Even if it means sacrificing your life?" Aiwass frowned.

"Yes."

"His plans are not perfect. He is human, after all, and his plans have already begun to come apart at the seams. He had waited so long for Accelerator and Kamijou Touma, and you. And yet tiny cracks have been spreading bit by bit, spreading with every unforeseen situation. It is only about time that he fails, and he will take all of you down with him," Aiwass said.

"Do you think so?" Celeste replied, tone neither doubting nor accepting. "I will do anything I could to keep him from failing. I will also do everything I could to keep him from dragging Accelerator down with him, in case he does fail."

Aiwass remained silent for a moment. "And yourself?"

She shrugged. "I never expected to grow old, you know. At some point, I expect Aleister will demand I reproduce to give him another heir. But I suppose I won't live long. If I reach thirty, of even twenty five, I'd be surprised."

"Why? Why are you so willing to sacrifice yourself for that man?" Aiwass demanded. The girl was strange. Just like Aleister. Difficult to understand, yet infuriatingly simple. "If I know him, you have nearly died several times because of him. He keeps sacrificing people, even those he should love! And yet…"

"So?" Celeste said, and even Aiwass was taken aback at her utter straightforwardness. "I almost died when I was born, because of him. But because of him, I was able to live. I learned what it meant to be happy, and to suffer. I've lived in the darkness and experienced the light. I've loved, and I've been loved. Aleister cares about me. I care about him. So I'm willing to die for him."

"And Accelerator?" Aiwass asked. The girl seemed to care about the boy too.

"Him too. I'm willing to die for either of them. For both of them. Whoever kills me first, I suppose."

Aiwass could not comprehend the humour in her tone. She accepted her inevitable death so easily. She _knew_ she would die, and probably some time soon. And unlike all other humans, she honestly didn't mind. She had nothing left to do, no regrets as long as she could protect the two men she cared about, as long as she could die protecting them. They were the only things that separated her from Aleister—her willingness to die, and her desire to protect.

He was right. She was dangerous.

"You will die."

"I will die," she agreed, nodding, looking him straight in the eye without fear, without regret. "I am Aleister's heir. His blood heir. His last heir."


	16. Chapter 16

"There are many different types of hero, you know," Aiwass pointed out. "They possess qualities that you do not. That is why you admire them. Touma. Accelerator. Even Celeste."

"I…" For the first time, Aleister's voice distorted oddly, the man's emotions broiling under the surface. He visibly took a moment to compose himself before he continued, "Celeste _is_ me. And I… I do not care about being a hero."

"Interesting that you say that. I have just spoken with Accelerator and Celeste after all, and she is exactly like you, yet nothing like you. She is unafraid to die, did you know that?" Aiwass almost smirked. "Unlike you, she knows she will die, and she has accepted that she will die before her time. Unlike you, she is not seeking to lengthen her time in this world. And unlike you, she will die without regrets, protecting you and Accelerator." Aiwass' tone turned mocking. "Have you ever protected anyone? Your wife died. Your daughter died. Your so-called 'heirs' died. And you never did a thing. You simply sacrificed them like you did everything else, just like you will sacrifice your true heir."

"I will use anything and everything I can, including you, Aiwass, if it would further my plans. Even if you mock the fact that there are errors, and I would admit that, there is no guarantee that your absolute authority will last forever either," Aleister said smoothly, but in his eyes was an icy glare, directed at the higher dimensional being.

Aiwass closed his eyes for a moment. "I do not hold this power because I wished for it. Nor do I continue to hold it because I am working towards that end."

The two faced each other in pure silence for a moment, neither comfortable nor uncomfortable. They just were.

"I will appear again when something else interesting happens," Aiwass stated, and faded.

Aleister sighed. No matter how many times he spoke with his mentor, the being infuriated him to no end. It read too much, understood too much. And Aleister did not enjoy being so easily seen through.

"Celeste is not like me, hmm?" Aleister sighed to himself. And then he called for her.

" _Can't you see? It is my solitude. Itami dake ga shinjitsu naraba… Can't you see? It is my solitude. Kodoku dake wa tebanasanai sa… Sukuwarenai… Tamashii nara…_ "

"Onii-chan?" Celeste answered cautiously, as if expecting a torrent of words from the other side.

"Come."

The word was almost a sigh, and then only the dial tone remained. Celeste stood wide eyed, stunned. She had _never_ heard Aleister sound so exhausted, so dejected. Something had happened. Or something will happen.

And the pawns were moving.

She grabbed her wallet and cellphone, then with only a hint of hesitation, a dagger. If she must, she could leave immediately. Celeste glanced around the apartment, suddenly feeling as if it would be the last time she saw it. Her eyes lingered on the door between her apartment and Accelerator's, and she found herself wishing he was at home. Then at least…

At least she could say goodbye. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, reconciling herself with everything.

One simple line uttered, and she vanished, leaving the simply furnished apartment looking like nobody had ever lived in it, if not for the clothes in the closet and food in the fridge.

"Onii-chan," Celeste said, then paused before she shook her head. "Aleister."

"Cel," he greeted gently.

The two simply spent a moment staring at each other, taking in the features that were so similar yet so different. Taking in the emotions in each other's eyes. Celeste understood the man. No matter who said he was emotionless, that he was cold and inclined to sacrifice everything without feeling a hint of remorse, she knew different. He cared. He always had, always will. He regretted the loss of his son, then later his daughter and his wife. He felt sorrow and grief, happiness and sadness, anger and confusion. Even Aleister Crowley was human, after all.

He would sacrifice everyone and everything he cared about for his goals. But it didn't mean he didn't feel anything when he did. Celeste knew that better than anyone, because she was the same as him. The only thing that differed was that she aimed to protect the two people she cared about, and was willing to sacrifice the world for them.

"Everything is moving," Aleister finally said, voice barely bouncing off the cold, empty room.

Celeste nodded. "I know the risks."

"Can you do it?" Aleister asked.

He had told her his plan long ago. Destroy the world. Recreate it. He would make a new world with none of the human corruption, with new laws that made science and magic unnecessary. Power corrupted. And a world without power… It would not have corruption.

He knew he was playing God. He was infringing on God's territory by distorting what He had created. But God didn't interfere with the world, except in the form of allowing humans to use magic. God would do nothing as the world fell into greater and greater chaos, as more and more people fell into depravation.

So Aleister would do the deity's job. He had waited for a long time, and finally all his pawns had gathered. Celeste Crowley. Accelerator. Kamijou Touma. Kakine Teitoku. He would not allow mere cracks to destroy his plans, his goals.

"I will do whatever I need to. You know that. I will succeed, no matter what," Celeste replied.

He could see no hesitation in her. Just like his wife never hesitated.

"You are an esper. Even I do not know how using magic of this degree will affect you. Your body could be destroyed, you could lose your mind, you could permanently lose your ability to use ESP," Aleister warned.

Celeste laughed lightly. "Well, I've always been more of a magic user. It's rather inconvenient when there's always an unknown price to using my abilities, and then I end up finding the price not really worth the power."

"Hm…" That wasn't a complete lie. But it wasn't the truth either.

Science was what had brought her to Academy City. She liked her ability because of everything it gave her, everything it allowed her to experience. If she was no longer an esper, if she became a purely magic user… Would she still be allowed to remain in Academy City?

"Summon it. Do what you need to. Do _everything_ you need to. Get help, if you must," Aleister said, voice hard. "If you need help from the magic side, I suggest Stiyl Magnus, Kanzaki Kaori, and Tsuchimikado Motoharu. They know about me, and they will do anything to protect Index. Or rather, the former two will. Tsuchimikado is… difficult."

She blinked. She knew Index was in Academy City, but she never knew the girl had friends. Other than Kamijou Touma, of course. Manipulation, hmm? How like Aleister to suggest such a thing.

But she will do what she needed to. She always would.

"Go," Aleister finally said, head slightly inclined to the girl who would be risking everything for him. "And Cel…"

She glanced at him, head cocked.

"Do not die. That is an order."

She smiled, her laughter tinkling in his ears, and she vanished.


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: This is the last chapter of Blood Heir. I'm just going to take a small break as I plan out what happens in the first few chapters of book 3. But Last Heir _will_ be posted soon. 

* * *

Accelerator cursed, head throbbing, the injury screaming. That _bastard_ had knocked him unconscious, damn it! His teeth clenched as he used his crutch to get to his feet. At least it was useful in times like this. He just wished it would have a button attached that would inject painkillers. Kami knows he needed it.

Slowly, painfully, he took step after step, using his ability to make the scenery fly by. He had to get home. He had to get to Last Order. And he had to leave.

Academy City couldn't do anything for the brat. Aiwass had made that very clear when he suggested that not even the infamous Heaven Canceller could heal Last Order this time. Accelerator would have to find something completely new, something he had never seen before.

'Index Librorum Prohibitorum'.

Accelerator repeated the foreign term over and over, noting that it was what Aiwass specifically told him to remember. The boy contemplated asking Celeste about it. The term reeked of 'magic', which Celeste claimed to use that one time.

But he didn't want to get her involved. It was his business. It was his atonement. He knew that even if Aleister asked her to do something, she would still drop everything and go with Accelerator if he asked. But he won't. He couldn't.

Elizalina Alliance of Independent Nations. It was in Russia, which meant Accelerator had to somehow grab Last Order and bring her there. He wouldn't find the Index there, but Aiwass had told him that the place had something important for dealing with Index.

Accelerator ignored the aching wound. He could bandage it up later. He won't die. He could use his ability to keep his blood flowing, to keep his blood inside his body. And he could bandage it up, tightly enough that he wouldn't need stitches. Last Order was more important.

* * *

Celeste walked through the streets of Academy City, hands in her pockets, trying to take in everything at once. It was strange, that all the people walking around knew nothing, that they could laugh and relax even as everything happened around them. They knew nothing about magic, nothing about darkness. They just lived, happily, experiencing normal things and feeling emotions about the normality.

For a moment Celeste wondered what it would be like to be one of them. To have been born in a normal family, to know nothing about Aleister Crowley or the dark side of Academy City, to know nothing about magic. Her only goals in life would be to become a stronger esper, to find friends and a boyfriend, and to die at a ripe old age, painlessly in her bed.

Then she caught herself and laughed. Normal was boring. She had Aleister, she had Accelerator. She even had Last Order, if she wanted a friend. She didn't need anything else.

Life as a firework was better than living as a slow burning candle, after all. Candles did not provide much light, and extinguished without anyone noticing. But a firework… Well, it lasted only a brief moment. But while it lived it was beautiful, awe inspiring, and _memorable_.

Celeste doubted that she would actually be _remembered_ by everyone. At most, the three she cared about, and the mercenaries and criminals she had given a home to would remember her.

She didn't mind, really. At least living this way was fun.

Celeste sighed, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk, fingering the cell phone in her pocket. She shouldn't go see Accelerator. If she said goodbye again, he would follow her, if he had nothing else important to do. If he told her not to go, she probably wouldn't. She would probably stay with him, and do something about Aleister's orders while staying by Accelerator's side, no matter how difficult and inconvenient it would be for her.

But no, she couldn't involve Accelerator in magic. It happened once, and in that case it didn't affect anyone too badly. But this job? It could change the world. It could change her. And it could destroy her, and everything in the vicinity. No, she would not involve Accelerator. She could not.

Summon Lucifer, the fallen angel. Become Lucifer's core. Increase the fallen angel's power until it was near its original state. And then Aleister's pawns could destroy the world, change the world.

Celeste had no doubt that even if she failed, Aleister would find a way to make his plan continue. He had other pawns, after all. Except her failure would set him back, would create more cracks in his plan.

She could not fail.

With a small sigh, she started walking again, moving towards the outskirts of Academy City. She needed to find a grimoire first, the instructions to summon the fallen angel. And then she needed to find a place to do it, and find a way to perform the task without her esper side interfering.

Even if she didn't die in the process, it would take a long time…

" _Tsuu ka yo, uttoushiin da. Tengoku nante doko ni mo nee darou. Tsuu ka yo, amattaruizee. Tamatta doro ga omokute. Yabai ne, massugu arukenee…"_

Celeste paused, surprised that Accelerator would call her. She stared at the cell phone vibrating in her hand, brows furrowing, wondering if she should answer.

But it was _Accerelator_ calling. She… She could say goodbye without him noticing, right? Over the phone, he couldn't see her expression… She put it to her ear.

"Celeste."

Celeste blinked in surprise. It was Accelerator's voice, just as she expected. But he called her name. Dread started to swell up. It couldn't mean anything good. She could hear the despair in his voice, the guilt, the sadness. And she could hear the sounds of a train running over the tracks.

"I'm going to destroy this phone after I hang up," Accelerator continued when he heard no reply from her. "So you won't be able to contact me anymore."

"Shiro-chan—"

"You can't stop me. I'm already on my way. I'm not telling you where. I won't let you follow."

"Shiro—"

"The brat's in a bad condition because DRAGON manifested. If I don't go, she'll die."

"Shiro—"

"Cel—"

"No," Celeste said firmly, cutting him off. "Shiro-chan, listen to me."

She paused for a moment, listening. He remained silent, but the sound of his breathing and the train continued, and she knew he hadn't hung up, hadn't crushed the phone. He was listening.

"Do what you need to. And I will do what I need to. I'm just glad you called," Celeste said softly.

"You said goodbye. Twice. So I returned the favour, kusotare. It doesn't mean anything," Accelerator scoffed, trying to sound normal.

She laughed gently. "Yeah."

The two were silent for a while, enjoying a small moment, relaxing in each other's company even though they were miles apart.

"I… I'm going to come back. When I'm done. With the brat," Accelerator finally said.

Celeste nodded, tears welling up, but remained unshed. He would come back.

But it remained a question whether she would still be there to greet him.

"Goodbye, Shiro-chan."


End file.
